The Pharmaceutical Journal
Vol 270 No 7244 p512
12 April 2003

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Letters to the Editor

OFT report

No complacency!

From Mr I. C. Strachan, MRPharmS

The premature euphoria, which greeted the Secretary of State's rebuff to total deregulation recommended in the Office of Fair Trading report, could precipitate a more insidious landscape for pharmacy than a framework of total deregulation. It would seem the Minister's remarks were more a defensive tack to keep pace with the unequivocal statements from Wales and Scotland. By deferring a decision to the summer, the Government has scored a valuable coup, winning time to assess the degree of political fallout while assessing the extent of change that may safely be implemented.

I believe such actions are referred to in political circles as "spin". What is clear, indeed crystal clear, however, is that there are elements of the OFT report which strongly resonate the attitudes of key ministers, including the Secretary of State for Health. These include the concept of choice, access and competition, all of which could, ironically, be satisfied through the existing framework of legislation.

The National Pharmaceutical Association strategy of harnessing public opinion through local petitions has been an unprecedented success and illustrated the depth of genuine and unsolicited support, from the public to retain pharmaceutical services within communities. The next phase must be to continue to engage patients, encouraging personal letters to their constituency MPs. The more key ministers recognise the raw feeling of their electorate, the greater will be its significance, particularly with local elections looming. The situation to date leaves no room for complacency.

Ian Strachan
Board Member, NPA

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