The Pharmaceutical Journal
Vol 275 No 7381 p774
24/31 December 2005

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Letters to the Editor

Other professions

Assumption was not unjustified

From Mrs H. Ferguson, MRPharmS

In her recent letter (PJ, 17 December, p752), Alison Cooper rails against Irram Irshad’s suggestion — that GPs ignore the work done by pharmacists — with all the zeal to be hoped for in a recent convert. Dr Cooper asserts that the suggestion is a “complete assumption” on the part of Miss Irshad. Although this may be correct, let us not suppose that Miss Irshad’s assumption was unjustified.

In my 10 years’ experience as a community pharmacist working in two different locations, I have grown accustomed to being treated by GPs with indifference and, occasionally, contempt. The sad fact is that there still exists a significant number of GPs who simply refuse to enter into the discussion of patient care with pharmacists.

Dr Cooper is right to remind us to be cautious of generalisations — indeed, my experiences have not been entirely negative. I am fortunate enough to enjoy a healthy professional relationship with one of the three medical practices in my area but, if a generalisation is to be made, it would be naive in the extreme to allow that Dr Cooper speaks for the average member of her new profession.

Helen Ferguson
Felixstowe, Suffolk

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