The Pharmaceutical Journal
Vol 270 No 7234 p152-153
1 February 2003

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Letters to the Editor

The Profession

In danger of passing unnoticed

From Professor J. Wingfield, FRPharmS

A major consultation exercise on patient privacy in the National Health Service may be in danger of passing unnoticed by community pharmacists. They had until 31 January to provide their views on how the proposed package of controls will work for them and to identify the type of information they will need to fulfil their aspirations in prescribing and medicines management.

A specific plea for pharmacists to get involved was issued by the NHS Information Authority at the beginning of the year.

On this site are full details of an underpinning research report (Share with Care!), a guide for handling patient information, a Code of Practice for NHS staff, a Patient Information Charter and appropriate online or postal questionnaires. These measures will affect community pharmacists through local primary care trust clinical governance arrangements.

Although the introduction to the research report makes specific reference to "community pharmacists ... playing a bigger role in looking after patients", the research did not include them in the list of persons who will potentially want or need access to patient information. The questionnaires do not include the Royal Pharmaceutical Society in the list of possible regulatory bodies who may choose to respond nor do they include community pharmacy in the NHS services listed.

Although, in my opinion, the proposals are sensible and proportionate, they do introduce training and procedures which will be new for many. It would be reassuring to know that our professional representative bodies have been involved in the development of these proposals and/or have responded to the consultation exercise.

Joy Wingfield
Professor of Pharmacy Law and Ethics
University of Nottingham

Definition of a “pharmacist” in the Netherlands

From Mr M. J. How, MRPharmS

There has been, from time to time, correspondence concerning the way that different branches of our profession are developing in the light of the growing requirements for demonstrating professional competence and the maintenance of standards. I have contributed to that debate with my concerns about the place of industrial pharmacy in the profession. The industrial branch of our profession is not the only area where such concerns exist. The United Kingdom is not the only country where such matters are being considered.

I am a member of the industrial pharmacists section of the Royal Netherlands Pharmaceutical Society (KNMP). This membership arose out of my employment in the industry in the Netherlands. A few years ago the government of the Netherlands created a register of all health care professionals. Pharmacists were naturally included on the register. I was not able to register by virtue of the fact that I no longer have a job in the Netherlands. However my colleagues in the Netherlands in industry were able to register.

The rules regarding reregistration have recently been modified and it has now been declared that only those persons who practise in individual patient care will be entitled to carry the professional title of their training. Therefore only those persons who are working as pharmacists in community and hospital pharmacy in the Netherlands will be entitled to call themselves pharmacists. It has not yet been decided what all other members of the profession will be able to call themselves. However, the title for which I worked so hard and continue to work hard to keep myself up to date is no longer available to me in the Netherlands.

How long might it be before I am in the same situation here?

 Mike How
M. J. H. International Ltd

Glorified shelf stackers?

From Mr A. Sidhu, MRPharmS

How can pharmacists prepare for prescribing when the management of the multiple I work for tells me that, when it is quiet and I am not serving any customers, I am required to help out with general shop duties? How are we to put our training to its best use for the first time in pharmacy's history when our employers expect this of us?

If our employers view us as glorified shelf stackers then how will the public ever be encouraged to make use of our valuable skills? Would you ever see a dentist or optician filling up their over-the-counter stock in between appointments? It comes down to the age-old problem of the image of pharmacists. Before we welcome in this new era we must first deal with these image misconceptions and most worringly of all, these opinions from our own employers.

I can sympathise with such multiples, which are there to run a business and hence to make a profit, but to use pharmacists as an extra pair of hands is a waste of a valuable resource. Only when opinions change will pharmacy and pharmacists get the recognition and respect that they deserve.

Amandip Sidhu
Pinner, Middlesex

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