The Pharmaceutical Journal
Vol 279 No 7469 p292-293
15 September 2007

This article
Reprint   Photocopy

PDF 70K, Acrobat Reader

• The profession (3)
• NPC (3)
• Community pharmacy
• Prescription pricing
• Wholesaling
• Anticoagulation
• Dispensing
• The Society (3)
• Regulation
• Fees consultation (2)
• Retention fees (2)
• Listening friends
• The Journal

Letters to the Editor

Retention fees

System must be fair

From Mrs D. Drury, MRPharmS

I am both a pharmacist and a member of the Royal Pharmaceutical Society’s Council, so am saddened by the low morale of our members but can understand their despair. Our strength is in our diversity and being able to have a large membership of pharmacists made up from all sectors.

Some pharmacists — by necessity, not choice — have to work part-time or have a career break to bring up their families. Others look after elderly relatives, or undertake further study or wind down to retirement. They, quite rightly, question the level of their fees.

Also our non-practising members are still proud to be pharmacists and can be invaluable to us in giving time to help the profession at local branches.

We must value all our members and encourage them into discussion with the consultation phase on fees to ensure a fair system of sustainable funds.

Dorothy Drury
Member of Council
Royal Pharmaceutical Society

I cannot understand the logic of the arguments

From Mr K. H. Free, FRPharmS

May I add my name to the growing list of those protesting at the hike in Royal Pharmaceutical Society retention fees.

As a retired member I cannot pass the bill to an employer or make a bid for an extra loading on my pension from January and I have to bear it without any help from the once sympathetic tax inspector.

Perhaps I will now have to forgo the privilege of helping to keep the local branch alive and organising the annual dinner for past colleagues at the Royal Pharmaceutical Society’s headquarters.

(Or will I still be able to make a party booking for the members’ dining room if I swear under oath that real fee paying pharmacists will be there as well?)

Like others I, too, cannot understand the logic of the arguments put forward by the Society’s Treasurer and find the convenient memory loss regarding a promise to revisit a significant reduction for pensioners regrettable.

I would, however, like to suggest that all pharmacists who are asked by their Society to pay through the nose or take forced retirement to join the “Pharmacists Old Contemptibles Society”, so called because of the contempt in which they are held by the Society, and usually abbreviated to “POX” for the way they are treated. Between us we could enjoy a few reminiscences and an occasional get-together to experience our own last of the summer wine.

Many have received a letter from the President about a “Fellows’ forum” as a means of tapping into the wealth of experience that lies dormant. More accurately, I suggest, we are being thrown out like a baby with the bath water.

Ken Free
Colchester, Essex

Send your letter to The Editor

Previous Topic (Fees consultation)
Next Topic (Listening friends)