The Pharmaceutical Journal
Vol 273 No 7312 p221
14 August 2004

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· Statins
· Enhanced services
· Shipman inquiry
· Dispensing errors
· Language skills
· Pharmacy education
· Tablet identification
· TCM
· The Charter

Letters to the Editor

The Charter

Credit where it is due

From Ms J. Goulding, MRPharmS

Colin Ranshaw in his letter (PJ, 7 August, p186) states that the Privy Council agreed to put the original Charter petition on hold so that minor amendments could be made. He concludes that, substantially, the original Charter petition was almost satisfactory. Surely he is hugely mistaken. First, the original Charter petition was put on hold because of legal action taken by four members of the profession who made a huge personal sacrifice in so doing. Secondly, how can the original Charter petition have been substantially satisfactory when it directly led to the removal of those Council members who supported it in this year’s Council elections? How can it have been substantially satisfactory when it ultimately led to the removal of the previous president, vice-president and treasurer? Surely, had it been substantially satisfactory, it would not have led to what can only be described as the biggest constitutional crisis in the Society’s history? Perhaps Mr Ranshaw has also forgotten that it was he who stood up at the Society’s annual general meeting this year to warn pharmacists that they were delivering a vote of no confidence in the previous Council by voting to stop the previous draft (PJ, 22 May, p652).

Mr Ranshaw has suggested that it would be unfortunate if history wrongly attributed this draft Charter only to the present Council’s deliberations. He is correct; this new Charter draft was arrived at, not only because of the new Council’s efforts, but also because of what can only be described as unprecedented affirmative action taken by some members of this profession who managed against all odds to stop the highly damaging proposals laid by the previous Council.

Let the historians ensure that credit is given where it is due.

Jo Goulding
Warwick

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