AFTER ALL THESE YEARS, I'M NOW A RESPONSIBLE PHARMACIST

And I have a card to prove it! I haven't figured out how I've got away with it all these years, behaing irresponsibly. I guess that someday it was always going to catch up with me, and from today I must put aside all childish things and behave responsibly.

The trouble is, when I read closely all the different protoccols and interpretations being offered (imposed?) by different companies, I'm not that sure what has changed in reality, other than the long overdue farce that a pharmacy was hitherto breaking the law if sales of GSL medicines were allowed to take place when the pharmacist was not present, when the petrol station down the street could sell what they wanted. When I was getting some milk the other day from a supermarket which didn't have a pharmacy, I noticed Canesten Combi on the shelves on open display and available for anyone to buy. So, if a pregnant lady describes symptoms which match thrush, if it the first episode, we are obliged to refer to the GP to ensure that there are no underlying problems with the pregnancy. Or she can just walk to the supermarket and buy it to avoid the hassle, because in a previous pregnancy we did the same thing and the GP prescribed Canesten anyway and grumbled about our incompetence. When I later explained the referall protocol he (the GP) was non-plussed and clearly unaware, which speaks volumes for inter practitioner communication.

But, I digress. I have always worked on the basis of if I'm the pharmacist on duty, I'm responsible. I accept that where there are two pharmacists on duty, there needs to be a clarification of roles etc., but as we all know, that's a rarity. So what has changed? I now have a card telling everyone I am responsible.

I can't speak for anyone else, but I have never had a problem with patients/customers knowing I'm responsible, I make it plain. Whether it's tryingto make eye contact as soon as they are near enough, whether it's the interaction between the staff and myself, whether I just have one of those faces which says "I have a very responsible job around here - if anything goes wrong, I'm responsible!"

In practice, I think the way the regulations have been framed and get interpreted will make them unworkable. We now have too many chiefs and not enough indians. We have Pharmacist (Responsible or Second), Pharmacy Manager/Store Manager, in either capacity rarely a pharmacist but with poweres deferred or devolved (until it goes wrong, then everyone turns to the Pharmacist), ACT's and so on.

Who takes the wrath of the patient if an error is made? If the ACT gets it wrong but the Pharmacist has made the clinical check? The fact is, we all make mistakes, so to single individuals out will not work as it all too often allows us to evade accountability. To quote a football adage, "We win as a team and we lose as a team". This change in regulations may have created a Responsible Pharmacist, but is it in danger of losing accountability? Only time will tell.