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Letters to the Editor
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The Journal
What is The Journal’s policy on conference attendance?
From Mr M. I. Almond, MRPharmS
Over the past 25 years, The Pharmaceutical Journal has supported the
Institute of Pharmacy Management’s conferences. However, it has
been noticed that The Journal has not sent a reporter to either of the
last two conferences. The reason for not attending the conference at
Stratford-upon-Avon last November was that the topics were not new and
it was expected that nothing new would be said. No reason has been given
for the PJ’s absence from Bath in April.
Speakers at Stratford included someone from the Department of Health
and someone from the NHS Confederation. In Bath one of the speakers was
from the Pharmaceutical Services Negotiating Committee. The list of speakers
in Bath also included the President of the Royal Pharmaceutical Society
and the head of a pharmacy school with radical ideas about the teaching
of pharmacy practice. These speakers should not have been missed by a
leading professional publication.
It came as a surprise, therefore, to read that The Journal sent a reporter
to Monaco in April 2004 to listen to some of the same speakers presenting
the same topics. The report acknowledged that the journalist was present
courtesy of the conference organisers; I presume that this means a free
ticket.
Is it now policy to attend conferences only in the more attractive venues
when the bill is picked up by sponsors? The Journal should send a journalist
to all pharmacy conferences at its own expense. Accepting sponsorship
would appear to compromise the independence of the publication.
Malcolm Almond
Brighouse, West Yorkshire
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The invitation for Monaco (17–22 April) from AAH arrived some
weeks before the notice about the Institute of Pharmacy Management’s
Bath meeting (23–25 April) at which time we had already accepted
the former. Our decision was not influenced by the venue or the fact that
our attendance was sponsored. We then had to make a decision about whether
or not to attend the Bath meeting and we decided that it was not possible.
We spoke to Howard McNulty, general secretary of the IPMI, explaining
that the contents of the meeting were not, in our opinion, newsworthy.
Sometimes speakers present the same speech — or variations of it — on
many occasions and in such instances there is often nothing new or
of value for The Journal to report.
We would like to point out to all groups who invite us to meetings
that it is the interest and value of the meeting that is the prime
factor
in our decisions
whether or not to attend. Occasionally we have to decline invitations to
some major meetings but, when this is the case, the organisers could
consider sending
a press release after the event detailing any developments. In addition,
we will consider reports for publication if attendees care to submit
them
within two
weeks of the meeting (see advice for contributors at www.pjonline.com).
— EDITOR
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The
Pharmaceutical Journal