The Pharmaceutical Journal
Vol 276 No 7389 p230
25 February 2006

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· Oxygen supplies (5)
· Community pharmacy
· Vitamin D
· Care homes
· Boots/UniChem merger
· Locum pharmacy
· Assisted dying
· Methadone
· Statins
· CPD
· Criminal convictions
· Overseas pharmacists
· National boards

Letters to the Editor

Community pharmacy

Desperate pharmacists?

From Mr P. F. Murphy, MRPharmS

Two burning issues have prompted me to write this letter:

1. The full implication of the Church and Smith article regarding stability in monitored dosage aids (PJ, 21 January, pp75–81 PDF (60K)) has clearly not been lost on our suppliers. But what about contractors, who feel they have been intimidated into continuing to provide an MDS despite the loss of weekly prescriptions. I, for one, think it is unacceptable to expect a pharmacist to prepare an MDS and assume the liability against a monthly prescription. Our company will, again, need the co-operation of our GP colleagues to provide us with a weekly prescription to allow us to prepare MDSs on a weekly basis in order to minimise deterioration, thereby limiting our liability and protecting the patient from this unquantifiable risk.

2. We have been approached by one of our local primary care trusts to ascertain whether we are prepared to continue to supply oxygen. I said we would be pleased to assist for as long as is necessary in supplying emergency oxygen though we think it would only be fair to expect the same remuneration for this service as the newly appointed contractor. The silence has been deafening.

Our immediate reaction to such events is “what choice have we got?” Concern as to what the opposition may do and the impact this may have on the business is our usual reason for not wishing to rock the boat. I would suggest that, ultimately, this fatalism does us a great disservice. What body or organisation is going to respect us when we appear weak and desperate to please? Perhaps this image of pharmacists has crept into the public domain? The screenwriters would have drawn on their own life experiences when developing the character of George from Wisteria Lane (in the “Desperate Housewives” television series).

Many draw comfort in the knowledge that our exemplary caring attitude makes a real difference; this is fine but we do need to be wary. The phrase “patient care” is used by others to cajole and by us to excuse our providing services for no reward (as in MDS) or a pitifully small fraction of that charged by others (as in oxygen supply).

I have not written this letter to berate my colleagues but to stir them from this apathy. “Divide and rule” should no longer be tolerated by our profession. We need one body to represent all our interests with a common voice — putting an end to mutual distrust between individuals, groups and the larger multiples.

It is not all doom and gloom — the new contract is broadly positive — but we do need to recognise our own collective value before we can expect to be treated fairly by others. Roll on the formation of the “BPA” as the first step in our change from NHS doormat to a pillar of service.

Paul Murphy
Wallasey, Wirral

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