The Pharmaceutical Journal
Vol 276 No 7400 p566
13 May 2006

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· Regulation
· Emergency contraception (3)
· Remote supervision
· Fitness to practise
· Medicines use reviews
· Council election (2)

Letters to the Editor

Remote supervision

Unacceptable

From Mrs P. S. Maycock, MRPharmS

I agree with Mark Koziol (PJ, 22 April, p476) and, like him, I do not believe that allowing remote supervision will be in patients’ or pharmacists’ best interests.

The strength of pharmacy in the community is the public perception that the pharmacist is always readily available to give advice. No matter how good the support staff are they cannot replace the knowledge a pharmacist has acquired after five years of training, although employers may seek to use technicians as a cheaper alternative.

Remote supervision is not a suitable alternative to the pharmacist being present. Support staff may be tempted to cope without contacting the pharmacist if they know that he or she is busy and has been interrupted already.

Pharmacists should be encouraged to develop their role in the community but if this involves leaving the premises, they should be replaced by other pharmacists and not by accredited checking technicians, no matter how competent they may be.

The risks to both patients and to the responsible pharmacist that may occur with remote supervision make the proposals unacceptable.

Sue Maycock
Truro, Cornwall

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