The Pharmaceutical Journal
Vol 279 No 7481 p653
8 December 2007

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• Controlled drugs
• Locum pharmacy
• Medicines distribution
• Retention fees (2)
• Premises fees
• Supervision
• The profession
• Postgraduate education

Letters to the Editor

Medicines distribution

More than economical with the truth

From Mr K. H. Seston, MRPharmS

In response to Amit Makwana from Astellas Pharma (PJ, 24 November 2007, p588–9). Surely Mr Makwana is being more than economical with the truth.

If he wishes, as he says, to maintain supplies of Prograf capsules, the way to do so is by increasing the amount introduced into the normal wholesale supply chain.

It is hard not to conclude that the change to distribution through Unichem is a means of Astellas gaining control of the market to increase the company’s profitability. To suggest otherwise, no matter how many emollient words are used, insults the intelligence of every pharmacist.

If he truly had patient interest — rather than profitability — at heart surely he would not introduce delays and unnecessary complexity into the supply chain.

The tone of his response to Gordon Largue is characteristic of some of our current Westminster politicians. I hope that it is not his intention for the pharmaceutical industry to be viewed in the same light, but I fear that is the way things have been going for some time.

Keith Seston
Havant, Hampshire

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