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· The profession (5)
· Community pharmacy (3)
· Revalidation
· The Society
· Prescription charges
Letters to the Editor
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Revalidation
The new Council must not repeat mistakes
From Mr J. Gentle, MRPharmS
At the recent branch secretaries’ meeting, David Pruce gave a
presentation on the Shipman Inquiry report. Some of the recommendations
are long overdue and will be universally welcomed, such as allowing pharmacists
to alter “technical defects” in CD prescriptions. As a pharmacist
who deals with over 30 methadone prescriptions daily, this is most welcome
news. Anyone who has ever worked on a Christmas day and received a diamorphine
prescription without a handwritten date will grow an inch as the weight
of bureaucracy is lifted a little. Mr Pruce explained how hard the Lambeth
staff have worked to get this included and we should all be grateful.
He explained that he believes revalidation is inevitable. A recent Department
of Health press release has announced that Sir Liam Donaldson, chief
medical officer, is to lead a review of the “revalidation of doctors
and related matters”.
I can remember the relief upon leaving the examination hall at the end
of my finals and expressing a view that I would never take another examination
ever again. I am sure you can all remember the feeling; has anyone ever
taken a Pro-Plus tablet since? But in some way, shape or form, pharmacists
will have to demonstrate that they are competent in the near (medium?)
future or lose the right to practise.
This is not the time to ape Cnut. It is the job of the new Council to
manage change, not to resist it. The recent mistakes over the active/non-active
register must be learnt. Ann Lewis announced at the same meeting that
6,211 pharmacists have joined the non-active register. I am concerned
that this number is so large and that Lambeth appears unconcerned. It
could represent up to 240,000 years of pharmaceutical experience lost
to the profession, which it can ill afford. I believe that many of these
pharmacists have taken this decision under the misapprehension that they
could not cope with CPD and that this is a result of an appalling mishandling
of the situation by the powers that be. This is a high cost to pay and
we must not repeat the mistakes over revalidation.
The Government will act over revalidation, but I do not believe it wants
a fight with the pharmaceutical profession. We have a powerful bargaining
position and must use it. It could well be the ultimate test of the Society
as a membership organisation and it must not fail.
John Gentle
Council Election Candidate
Shrewsbury
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The
Pharmaceutical Journal