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Letters to the Editor
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Community pharmacy
Pharmacists should seek the support of their MPs
From Mr G. S. Phillips, MRPharmS
Colleagues should support a motion by members of Parliament to oppose
contract liberalisation (PJ, 18 September, p370).
It seems that the Government has chosen to ignore the “law of unintended
consequences” as applied to health care and, specifically, pharmacy.
The “Balanced package of measures” — the Government
response to the Office of Fair Trading — is the worst kind of political
fudge. The complexity inherent in juggling the four proposed exemptions
plus the principles of “competition and choice” can only
lead to demoralisation, confusion and legal challenge.
Dog-eat-dog competition is the last thing community pharmacists need
when we should be working with primary care trusts towards a collaborative
and consistent health care offering. What is worse, the exemptions drive
a coach and horses through primary care trusts’ ability to plan
a locally responsive pharmacy service. Surely this should be based upon
patient need, not the law of the commercial jungle.
Election time approaches and the Government will be sensitive to the
effects of 12,000 pharmacy windows and the PR potential of six million
daily visits to UK pharmacies. Pharmacists should contact their MPs and
seek their support.
Graham Phillips
St Albans,
Hertfordshire
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The
Pharmaceutical Journal