The Pharmaceutical Journal
Vol 280 No 7502 p593
17 May 2008

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• Professional body (2)
• Terminology
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• Training
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• Combivent
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Letters to the Editor

Terminology

Use correct professional name for colleagues

From Mr M. Randerson, MRPharmS

Despite disappearing from the professional dictionary of the NHS many years ago, the term chemist still persists with reference to community pharmacy in the columns of the lay press.

Somewhat less common is the use of the term by non-pharmacist healthcare professionals and NHS managers, more often than not due to misunderstandings over correct terminology. It does not help that a small number of pharmacists do not always use correct professional term for colleagues working in the community.

I suspect the reasons for this may be rooted in some small-minded professional snobbery.

Pharmacists who use slang terms in front of other NHS professionals do little to enhance either their own professional image or the image of the pharmacy profession as a whole.

Mark Randerson
Crossgates, North Yorkshire

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