The Pharmaceutical Journal
Vol 280 No 7491 p259-260
1 March 2008

Society summary

DEATHS

TRIBUTES

Allen On 31 January, Douglas Raymond Allen, aged 81, of 1 Charnock Close, Kirby Cross, Frinton-on-Sea, Essex CO13 0RT.
Mr Allen registered in 1948 and retired from the Register in 1996.


Bray On 18 February, Alfred William Bray, MRPharmS, aged 94, of 32a Bucknalls Drive, Bricket Wood, St Albans AL2 3QB.
Mr Bray registered in 1940.


Patel On 18 February, Suryakant Narshibhai Patel, MRPharmS, aged 58, of 102 Raeburn Avenue, Surbiton, Surrey KT5 9DZ.
Mr Patel registered in 1979.

Tributes

Cooper In a tribute to the late Peter Cooper (PJ, 16 February 2008, p200), DOUGLAS SIMPSON (former editor of The Pharmaceutical Journal) writes:

Peter Cooper had been writing “Onlooker’s notebook” for some time when I took over as editor of the PJ in 1987 and he was still writing it when I vacated the chair in 2000. Indeed, he continued writing the column until December 2007, when he was 90.

Peter was an editor’s dream. His copy was always on time, topical, erudite and well written. It required very little change. If all writers were like him, sub-editors would become redundant.

Peter’s early years as a pharmacist were spent in hospital pharmacy. He did a stint at St Mary’s Hospital in Paddington, London. And in the 1950s he was a pharmacist at Southmead Hospital in Bristol, where he claimed to have made fireworks for the staff’s 5 November celebrations.

Later in his career, he took up authorship and had published three editions of his book ‘Poisoning by drugs and chemicals’ (Alchemist Publications). In the late 1960s he served for a couple of years as an editorial assistant on Martindale. But he did not care for the commuter’s life — he was living in Hindhead, Surrey, then — and he may have found the formulaic approach of the Martindale monograph a little too rigid for someone with his writing skills. Staff at Martindale were sorry to see him go as he kept them amused with a fund of pharmaceutical anecdotes of one sort or another.

He took on abstracting work, which gave him access to a wide range of medical and scientific journals. These provided inspiration for the bulk of his contributions as “Onlooker”. But he was not a mere pedlar of the views of others. He had strong views of his own and this came through in everything he wrote.

There is a long tradition in pharmacy of pseudonymous columnists in the leading publications. Peter was one of the best of these, if not the best. He must certainly have been the longest serving.

Peter was a natural “Onlooker”. Undoubtedly, that is why he carried on writing the column for so long.

Jackson In a tribute to the late William Arthur Jackson (PJ, 19 January 2008, p64), JOYCE HOLT writes:

I was saddened to hear of the recent death of Bill Jackson, my joint honorary vice-president of the Manchester Pharmaceutical Association.

His knowledge of pharmaceutical antiques and history was legendary in the Manchester area. He was never stumped when confronted with an interesting artefact; he always knew what it was and its purpose.

Among his various publications, his little book of ‘Pharmaceutical antiques and history’ was to be found in various outlets across the country thus spreading his knowledge to a wider audience than fellow pharmacists. He will be sadly missed for his contribution to the recording of pharmaceutical history.

Condolences to his wife Audrey and family at this sad time.

Schofield In a tribute to the late Samuel Eric Schofield, (PJ, 23 February 2008, p230), MIKE BLAND writes:

I was saddened to receive the recent news of the death of Sam Schofield on 8 February 2008 in Bath. Sam left the non-practising register in 2006 after more than 65 years of registration having retired from community practice in 1980.

We first met in 1965 when he interviewed and engaged me for a second pharmacist post with Hunt & Co in Winchester, my first experience in independent community pharmacy. Sam had joined Hunt’s as manager in 1951 but by 1965 was the company managing director.

He was brought up and educated in Bradford and qualified there as a pharmacist in 1938. He was always proud of his Yorkshire roots and, behind his northern candour and stubbornness, beat a heart of gold and he was a kind and generous professional.

Upon qualifying, Sam gained early experience in hospital and community practice in the midlands and south east, including a spell at the then 24-hour John Bell & Croyden pharmacy in Wigmore Street, London. His time there provided experiences that gave him a vast series of stories to relate in later life.

He volunteered for the Royal Army Medical Corps in November 1939, interrupting his career, and served in several UK locations and in Lagos. This included a spell at Netley Hospital on the Solent and he later fondly used to relate how personnel could spend days tramping the corridors looking active with the aid of a clipboard.

He had already met and married Joan the same year and they eventually settled in Winchester, when he arrived at Hunt’s, where their three children Peter (also a pharmacist), Judith and Joanne were brought up.

Sam devoted his career to build on the already established reputation of Hunt & Co and was proud of the history of the “Olde Winchester Pharmacy”. He traced the history of the pharmacy to before 1796, earlier records being lost in a fire. The company maintained the historic nature of the building and facade but delivered a cutting edge professional service.

In the late 1960s, when the effects of merged GP practices and newly established health centres on community pharmacy were unknown, the multiplicity of small partnerships in Winchester came together to form two large medical practices in the same proximity of the city. While continuing to run the high street premises, Sam also organised the establishment of a second pharmacy near the new surgery localities and I was fortunate to be given the opportunity and confidence by Sam to grow the business. At one time it was the busiest dispensing pharmacy in England.

Sam never skimped on resources as he always believed that a high professional policy would always deliver return. By 1980, the success of this venture had even rendered the original business non viable and Sam’s final duty was to oversee the sale and closure of the premises while ensuring that the citizens of Winchester retained the pharmacy history by gifting the fixtures, fittings and historical artefacts to the city museum, where they still occupy a place of distinction.

By this time, the other original shareholders decided to liquefy their interest in the company and he ensured that this occurred in a tax efficient manner by negotiating one of the earliest management buyouts with 3I (Investors in Industry) when most financial advisers believed this to be impossible. He and I then formed a new company to continue the success of the Silver Hill pharmacy.

Although he retired, following the closure of the original premises, he continued to chair the new company and was an active and always challenging majority shareholder until finally the new company was sold in 1992.

He spent many happy years with Joan overseeing his large garden until the gradual onset of ill health convinced them that they needed to move closer to their family and they relocated to Bath in 2006.

I owe most of what I have attained in my professional life from the experiences that I gained working with him and from his guidance, support and kindness and I shall never forget the opportunities that I received. Community pharmacy in Hampshire has lost another champion and elder statesman and the profession will be the poorer for his passing. My deepest thoughts and sympathies are with Joan, his children and grandchildren at this sad time.