The Pharmaceutical Journal
Vol 275 No 7375 p607
12 November 2005

This article
Reprint   Photocopy

PDF 100K, Acrobat Reader

· Adverse reactions
· Drug interactions (2)
· Packaging
· GHP (2)
· Pricing
· Clinical governance
· The profession
· Pharmacy workforce
· Communication
· Registration

Letters to the Editor

Clinical governance

A statutory duty

From Mr B. Harrop, MRPharmS

It is quite a while since I have read one-sided, emotional “claptrap” in the PJ, so I am obliged to Chris Morris (PJ, 5 November, p572). As the clinical audit manager for a primary care trust, and an elected member of the professional executive committee, I think it is worth repeating that all providers of NHS services have a statutory duty to implement clinical governance arrangements. It is inevitable that some form of monitoring will have to take place (or “policing” as Mr Morris prefers to call it). As far as community pharmacies are concerned, there is no reason why this monitoring should be other than light, provided that PCTs are assured that pharmacists are implementing control mechanisms for their dispensing processes and contacting patients or prescribers when they have clinical concerns.

Brian Harrop
Lytham-St-Annes, Lancashire

Send your letter to The Editor

Previous Topic (Pricing)
Next Topic (The profession)