The Pharmaceutical Journal
Vol 273 No 7315 p312-315
4 September 2004

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· The Charter
· Charter ballot
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· Voting
· Personal control
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· Simvastatin
· Ward technicians
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· Remuneration
· The Profession
· Education
· CRCS
· Retention fee
· Onlooker

Letters to the Editor

The Profession

Greedy few will have spoilt it for many

From Mr P. R. Dadswell, MRPharmS

It was refreshing to read of the sound professional thinking by Samir Vohra (PJ, 14 August, p219), suggesting that pharmacy is “shooting itself in the foot” by offering free cholesterol and blood pressure testing.
For many years I have been saddened by the “selfish short-termism” of some who, epitomised by greed, have never considered the welfare of the profession as a whole.

At the time when our negotiators are attempting to broker the best contract for pharmacy in the future we have fleets of vans criss-crossing the country advertising free prescription collection and delivery services. Free monitored dosage systems are now standard practice and are actively encouraged by some to get three additional fees per month.

Surely, pharmacists are not so blinkered that they do not realise that some of the most avid readers of the PJ are the government negotiators for the contract? These negotiators may be many things, but they are not stupid. It would be remiss of them to agree to spending taxpayers’ money on a contract that incorporated payment for services that pharmacy is already giving for free.

The precedent has been set. The greedy few will have spoilt it for the many.

Furthermore, the question can quite legitimately be asked: “If pharmacy can afford to give these services free, are contractors being overpaid in the present contract?”

David L. Harris
Swansea, West Glamorgan

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