The Pharmaceutical Journal
Vol 274 No 7343 p392
2 April 2005

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· Anticoagulation services
· RFID tagging
· Repeat dispensing (2)
· Council election (5)
· PI insurance (2)
· Generics
· Prescription charges
· Medicines for children
· The Society
· CPD
· The register (2)
· The Journal (2)

Letters to the Editor

The register

Let retired pharmacists use the title “doctor”

From Mr M. Samson, MRPharmS

There has been a lot of correspondence recently, including my own, in The Daily Telegraph concerning the use of the title “doctor”. It was agreed that this title is a correct definition for those persons earning a PhD, whereas physicians and dentists may use this title as a courtesy, in spite of not having a doctorate but having the appropriate bachelor degrees. I understand that a small amount of confusion occurs with less enlightened members of the public if a pharmacist with a PhD correctly calls himself or herself “doctor”. Since they can easily dispel this confusion, they ought to be able to use this title at all times.

Might I, however, make a further suggestion that all pharmacists, when retired and no longer a “threat” to the public, be permitted to use the courtesy title “doctor” in recognition of their past heroic services. This, I suggest, would adequately compensate for the loss of their PhC and MRPharmS, etc, designations on retiring.

Michael Samson
Worthing, West Sussex

Bring back the part-time fee!

From Dr B. B. Shetewi, MRPharmS

I contacted the registration department at the Royal Pharmaceutical Society for clarification about retention fees. I am retired and I work a maximum of 12 hours a month delivering training on safe handling of medicines. I was informed that I still have to pay the total fee of £256. Twelve hours a month is equivalent to 3.84 weeks a year, if we take a week to be 37.5 hours. This means that I have to pay the Society £66.67 a week for the privilege of having MRPharmS after my name.

I hope the membership elect enough new councillors to replace whoever brought this new regulation into force and I hope they can bring back a part-time registration fee. Let us hope common sense will prevail in our Society.

B. Shetewi
Leatherhead, Surrey

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