The Pharmaceutical Journal
Vol 279 No 7470 p326
22 September 2007

This article
Reprint   Photocopy

PDF 40K, Acrobat Reader

• Sponsored inserts (3)
• Dose administration aids
• White Paper
• Prescribing
• 100-hour pharmacies
• Retention fees
• The Society (2)

Letters to the Editor

White Paper

Correcting an erroneous impression given in the PJ

From Mr G. S. Phillips, MRPharmS

I write to correct an erroneous impression given in the PJ (15 September 2007, p295). In an otherwise accurate report of my British Pharmaceutical Conference presentation on “What the members want” you suggest that I concur with the view that the existence of 200 different pharmacy bodies is, in itself, an indication of the failure of the Royal Pharmaceutical Society.

In fact the point I made when discussing the 200 pharmacy bodies was an entirely different one: I said that the Society’s Council had recently been addressed by Mayur Lakhani, president of the Royal College of General Practitioners, who remarked how divided the medical profession is, with over 60 bodies representing GPs alone.

I suggested that we pharmacists always assume that our own profession is fatally divided and that this is in stark contrast to the perceived unity of the medical profession. This is simply not so and we really must stop talking ourselves down.

Members should be reassured that the Society had started the research to examine the profession’s support networks well before the “split” became inevitable.

It is disappointing that my remarks were misinterpreted in this way, especially given how crucial an issue this is for the profession and for the Society. I believe it is time now to stop talking about what we do not want from our future professional body and to start creating the vision of what we do want.

To this end, I believe Catherine Duggan’s presentation (ibid, p295) is a good “starter for ten”.

Graham Phillips
Member of Council
Royal Pharmaceutical Society

Send your letter to The Editor

Previous Topic (Dose administration aids)
Next Topic (Prescribing)