The Pharmaceutical Journal
Vol 271 No 7261 p175-176
9 August 2003

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Letters to the Editor

CPD

How will inactive members who "practise" be caught?

From Mr A. Pothecary, MPharm

I have been following the correspondence about continuing professional development closely over the past few months, and there are some points I would like to raise concerning the treatment of "inactive" pharmacists, ie, those who have stated they will not be practising.

These inactive pharmacists are least likely to be found in community pharmacies and other places frequented by the Royal Pharmaceutical Society inspectors, and so I wonder how they would be caught, particularly if they only "practise" by giving free-of-charge advice at talks in community centres and schools, as previous correspondents have suggested.

Secondly, as far as I am aware, the most severe action the Society can take against a pharmacist for a disciplinary offence (as Dr Robert Dewdney indicated that practising when inactive would be considered [PJ, 19 July, p85]) is to have that person removed from the register, at which point they would then be able to offer such advice without hindrance.

A great many of today's pharmacists have obtained a degree in pharmacy before their registration, and they will still have this degree and the knowledge required to earn it, even if they are not on the register. Surely if the Society wishes to persecute its members who decide to do some public good once they have stopped working and do not wish to participate fully in CPD, it should also look at taking action against other people who offer advice that could be considered "pharmaceutical" and are not (or ever have been) pharmacists? The participation of pharmacists, whether active or inactive, at some events is likely to be beneficial as they may be able to correct certain points made in error by other speakers, and could also promote the role of their "active" colleagues. "Inactive" members are also likely to be the only pharmacists who have the time and energy to go to these events.

It seems to me that the membership is deeply dissatisfied with the leadership of the Society, and perhaps the powers-that-be at Lambeth should put their own house in order and try to win back the trust of the membership before they start enforcing these new CPD rules, which will have a significant impact on all pharmacists.

Andy Pothecary
Portsmouth

I will not resign

From Mr W. B. Rhodes, FRPharmS

I am growing increasingly concerned at the number of members who are advocating that retired pharmacists should resign from the register. This will be no great financial loss to the Royal Pharmaceutical Society because our reduced fees make little or no contribution to its coffers but I suggest that it would be a sad loss to the pharmacists concerned and — in all modesty — to society as a whole.

I have been on the register for over 50 years during which time I have served the public and the profession and the only way I will come off the register is if I am removed for misconduct.

I would not dream of practising because I am not sufficiently up to date, but I do have some small professional expertise which I put to use in giving talks to local organisations. Their objective in inviting me is to be entertained and, to some extent, educated, whereas my objective is to promote the profession.

I, and many others in my situation, need to know quite clearly what the Society is going to do to us if we carry on. Most of us do not do it for self-aggrandisement and certainly not for money but as a service to the public and the profession to which we owe so much. Public speaking is a bit of a bore these days and in many ways I would rather be rid of it, but if the public want it and I am prepared to do it I cannot accept that I have to resign my membership, and I will not. There must be another way. Alternatively, I am quite prepared to give the Society's inspector the date of my next engagement and he can come and write a report. I know how it is done as I used to be one.

Bruce Rhodes
Winchcombe, Gloucestershire

Can we have an offline facility?

From Mr J. M. McLusky, MRPharmS

Along with other local pharmacists, I received this week the continuing professional development online CD, user guide and paper equivalent. I changed my username and password to something more memorable and went through the basic menu and settings. I then thought to make my first entry and to do this offline. I could not. I e-mailed the help desk and had a reply that this is correct. You have to be online to use the programme.

I will make my entries at home, as I suppose many community pharmacists will. Allowing for a slow speed of typing, the need to revise entries, etc, unless you have a broadband connection, this will cost a lot of money and will block the telephone line (assuming there is only one). The alternatives are the paper system or an employer's own CPD electronic system.

Perhaps the producers of the CPD system may revise the programme to allow records to be made offline, stored in one's own environment, and transmitted to the Royal Pharmaceutical Society when each record is complete.

J. Macrae McLusky
Wotton under Edge, Gloucestershire

Welsh recording system is better

From Mr J. D. Barthram, MRPharmS

The paper version of the continuing professional development record produced by the Royal Pharmaceutical Society is clumsy and does not, in my view, encourage CPD reporting.

Use of the version produced by the Welsh Centre for Postgraduate Pharmaceutical Education, which only uses one side of a sheet of A4 paper and has easy-to-follow questions, would probably give the Society a greater number of reports. If this were then combined with greater online access (e-mail as well as internet) then reporting might be increased even further.

Julian Barthram
Newport, Gwent

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