The Pharmaceutical Journal
Vol 280 No 7494 p334
22 March 2008

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• Darzi review
• The profession
• Tuberculosis
• Euthanasia
• Benevolent Fund
• Audit
• Minor ailment scheme
• Community pharmacy
• The Society
• Pharmacy in the media

Letters to the Editor

Minor ailment scheme

Pharmacists need to use professional judgement

From Mr D. P. Guidi, MRPharmS

I suspect Nadim Ali is being slightly mischievous in trying to portray such a bleak picture of the Scottish Minor Ailment Scheme (PJ, 8 March 2008, p273).

If he is being serious, I would like to remind him that with the right to prescribe comes increased responsibility and a need for professional judgement to be exercised. If he complies meekly with customers presenting “shopping lists” then a great disservice is being done to his colleagues in community pharmacy, who often have to lower the public’s perceptions of what the scheme is all about.

I agree that there has been a reduction in the sales of over-the-counter medicines; his monthly capitation fees will offset this.

Dan Guidi
Glasgow

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