| · Supervision
· Substance misuse
· Classification
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· Self care
· Oxygen services
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· Reciprocity
· Overseas pharmacists
· Council elections
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· Assisted dying
Letters to the Editor
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Reciprocity
Hoping for a sensible solution
From Mr I. W. A. Dean, MRPharmS
I am grateful to Philip
Green, deputy secretary and registrar at the
Royal Pharmaceutical Society, for his immediate response to my recent
letter (PJ, 4 March, p265). I particularly thank him for telling us that
the principal reason for ending reciprocity was because “it does
not allow us (the Society) to exercise any influence over the length,
content, delivery or duration of education and training or even to inquire
into the education and training of anyone covered by such an agreement”.
This is new information. Therefore, I do not agree with Mr Green in saying
that I was wrong to assert that the Society had “not yet shared
with members the real reason” for ending reciprocity. I presume
that this new and real reason supersedes the original
reasons provided in the Society’s news release (PJ,
16 April 2005, p465), which were subsequently demolished by John Ferguson
(PJ, 24 September 2005,
p374 PDF (70K)).
I do agree that other UK health care regulators (those governing dentists,
doctors, nurses and physiotherapists) discontinued their various reciprocal
arrangements some time ago. But those regulators replaced reciprocity
with an “assessment of qualifications” and the international
English language test, rather than the draconian system chosen by the
Society.
Following the start of the “assessment of qualifications”,
the flow of dentists, doctors, nurses and physiotherapists between Australia
and Britain, and vice versa, has apparently continued without interruption.
This may be surprising because, to some, the prospect of an Australian
successfully completing an English language test in Britain may be considered
to be a hurdle too high.
It is especially pleasing to read that Mr Green will be returning to
Australia in May 2006 to participate in further discussions about the
registration of Australian and New Zealand pharmacists in Britain. His
Australian, British and, I am sure, New Zealand colleagues will wish
him every success.
The mere fact that he is making such a long trip for the second time
in six months is perhaps a sign that not only is Mr Green’s mind
open but he may even be seeking a sensible solution to the issue. Let
us all hope.
Ian Dean
North Turramurra,
New South Wales, Australia |
The
Pharmaceutical Journal