The Pharmaceutical Journal
Vol 270 No 7232 p83
18 January 2003

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Letters to the Editor

Supervision

Pharmacists are uniquely qualified to supervise a pharmacy

From Ms E. M. O’Shea, MRPharmS

Modernisation, modernisation. That is a word I hear a lot these days in relation to the National Health Service consultants' new contracts, the Fire Brigade's Union and indeed our own profession.

I realise that each profession is under enormous pressure from Whitehall to shape-up or ship-out — I am all for it. I have no desire to be tied to the dispensary bench for my entire career. I will gladly embrace the roles of pharmacist prescriber or medicines manager as they emerge. However, I believe that in accepting these roles I cannot, and should not, sacrifice my legal, moral and ethical right and responsibility to supervise a pharmacy. This is a role for which I am uniquely qualified.

The technology that may allow a pharmacist to be accountable for one pharmacy on any given day without actually being present would surely work in reverse and allow the pharmacist who is supervising to perform other duties without leaving the building. Why else are we working towards electronic prescribing and other initiatives?

Eithne O'Shea
Birmingham

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