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	The Pharmaceutical Journal Vol 270 No 7239 p335 8 March 2003	This page Reprint Photocopy
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CPD

Flawed data collection

Innocent until proven guilty

Flawed data collection

From Mr G. K. Benton, FRPharmS

The Royal Pharmaceutical Society's continuing professional development survey is an example of the lowering of standards in statistics. It opens with a premise and affords no option to find that premise unacceptable. For the results to have any credibility, the first question must be whether or not there should be mandatory CPD. Only then can the validity of the remainder of the answers be tested. It is an appalling example of flawed data collection and as such is not worthy of a learned society.

Gerald Benton
Horncastle, Lincolnshire

Dr ROBERT DEWDNEY, head, education division, Royal Pharmaceutical Society, replies:

Respondents to the questionnaire who wish to indicate that they do not want mandatory CPD to apply to any pharmacists can do so by disagreeing with all three statements under Question 1, excluding all three categories of pharmacist from the measure. Some numbers of respondents have done so.

Innocent until proven guilty

From Dr W. J. Pugh, MRPharmS

I write in connection with the Royal Pharmaceutical Society's proposed mandatory continuing professional development.

Does the Society have the power to bar a pharmacist from practising unless it can show good cause in the case of that individual? If so it would seem to be a reversal of the fundamental tenet of English law that one is innocent until proven guilty. Is the latter superior law? It certainly seems superior justice.

W. John Pugh
Welsh School of Pharmacy
Cardiff

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