Sir, – A recent letter proposes giving pharmacists greater clinical autonomy in the supply of medicines for minor ailments (January 12th).
Whereas this proposal may appear to be a good idea that would take pressure off family doctors and give more job satisfaction to pharmacists, the proposal would not be straightforward.
Pharmacists receive little or no practical training in the examination of patients or in the diagnosis and management of illnesses, so that their training would have to undergo significant change before they were given the right to prescribe medications.
Secondly, most pharmacists in retail chain pharmacies sell alternative products such as anti-wrinkle creams, magnetic bracelets and homeopathic remedies alongside bona fide pharmaceuticals.
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This confuses the public who assume that products endorsed by a pharmacist are of scientifically proven value.
Before we expand further the role of pharmacists in the science of medicine, we should ask them to commit to stop selling products that are unproven and unscientific. – Yours, etc,
Dr TOM O’ROURKE,
(Retired medical
practitioner),
Gorey, Co Wexford.
