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Letters to the Editor
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Supervision
Dwindling slowly into obscurity
From Mr G. D. Batey, MRPharmS
When I read the letter about supervision from Paul
Francis (PJ, 27 October,
p466), my first thought was at last a voice of sanity.
As a retired pharmacist on the non-practising Register my only connection
with pharmacy is The Pharmaceutical Journal and the odd chat with my
local pharmacist. My only real interest in pharmacy is to hope that the
pensions department of the company I used to work for can remain in funds
for the next few years of my life.
So I can take an academic interest in pharmacy. But surely it does not
tax my fading brain cells to work out that what Mr Francis says is the
truth. As pharmacists are urged to become more like doctors and get away
from the confines of the pharmacy, it would seem that it is only a matter
of time before trained staff (I am not sure how much training is involved
but it took me six years to train as a pharmacist) will take the place
of the present pharmacists, who will be out in the community doing all
the new things that they are being urged to get involved with and, of
course, enjoying a considerable drop in salary.
I, too, like Mr Francis, hope that I am mistaken but I doubt it. I can
only be thankful that my career in pharmacy is now over — and I
do not have that many years to watch my chosen profession dwindle slowly
into obscurity.
I am still proud to put those letters after my name, but for how much
longer?
George Donaldson Batey
Wylam, Northumberland
We will lose our unique selling point
From Mrs S. E. Maddison, MRPharmS
May I say I wholeheartedly agree with the sentiments expressed by Paul
Francis (PJ, 20 October, p438). If we allow remote supervision
to become a reality, we will lose our unique selling point — the
provision of professional advice without appointment. I believe, as a
community
pharmacist of 11 years, that this is a role the public genuinely appreciate.
I fear that unless we embrace our current role and be proud of what we
do, community pharmacy as we know it will cease to be and we will find
ourselves in the dole queue.
Susie Maddison
Nuneaton, Warwickshire
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