The Pharmaceutical Journal
Vol 270 No 7253 p825
14 June 2003

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Letters to the Editor

Modernisation

Where is that bogeyman?

From Mr H. R. Patel, FRPharmS

I write both as a member of the Royal Pharmaceutical Society's Council and its Modernisation Steering Group who is keen to secure support from members of the Society on a fundamentally important issue that was omitted from the paper on the subject previously circulated by the Society. I support the view that the Society's Charter should retain, without qualification, the object "to maintain the honour and safeguard and promote the interests of the members in their exercise of the profession of pharmacy" and that this object is restricted to pharmacist members.

The members' support should be expressed at the roadshows in a clear and forceful way so that the vote is clear and unequivocal. We must remember that what is being challenged is the concept of an organisation for pharmacists, run by pharmacists.

I have no problem with having three Privy Council nominees, but I share the concerns of the past presidents (PJ, 6 July 2002, p15 and 15 February 2003, p231), about a diluted Council with a remit that takes away the main reason for the formation of the Society over 160 years ago.

Winning the argument may be tough but it is not the "David and Goliath battle" that it has been made out to be. There are implied suggestions that the bogeyman will get us if we do not conform. I hear the membership saying: "Where is that bogeyman? Let us see him."

The least the members can bear in mind when discussing the issue at the roadshows is that the vote in support of retaining the object at the special general meeting was unanimous.

Please vote to retain the current Charter object without qualification and to restrict the object to pharmacist members only.

Hemant Patel
Brentwood, Essex

Pharmaceutical Society in New Zealand "reborn"

From Mr A. J. Leigh, MRPharmS

Having viewed from a distance the Council's approach to being both a regulator and an advocate in one, I consider it flawed. The Royal Pharmaceutical Society should be there to support good pharmacy practice and to be an advocate of all pharmacists. To regulate, as well as do this, means that it either neglects the members of the Society or appears to those outside the Society to be favouring the members.

A far better approach would be to spin off the membership part with its publishing arm and leave regulation to a subset of the Society with non-pharmacist involvement and prerequisite "paper walls" between it and the membership part.

In the near future the New Zealand Pharmaceutical Society is to do just this. There will be an external element to regulate the profession and the PSNZ will be "reborn" as a membership based society with no regulatory function. This will make for a stronger society rather than a weaker one.

Andrew Leigh
Auckland, New Zealand

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