In the debate between doctors and pharmacists, both sides have their points. Doctors are trained to diagnose and prescribe and pharmacists are trained to dispense. I agree patients should have a choice as to where they obtain the medication. Most patients will continue to have their drugs dispensed at the doctor's clinic because of convenience, and because they trust their doctors. However there is one area which is indefensible from the legal point of view in the event if a mistake in dispensing occurs. Too many doctors employ staff who have no qualifications whatsoever. Although doctors claim they supervise and take responsibility over their staff's actions, in reality, the staff are left to decipher the handwriting, pick out the correct drug, count the correct number of tablets and to label each individual medication on their own whilst the doctor is in his room seeing the next patient. Staff without medical training cannot explain to patients what each drug is used for let alone inform the patients of their possible side-effects. One compromise to the present impasse is to insist all doctors have a qualified nurse (or even a qualified pharmacist) employed to dispense medication in their clinics. Nurses are especially suited because of their medical training. In hospitals, it is the nurses who regularly dispense medication to the in-patients on the wards. At present, the nursing profession is suffering from a job shortage with some 500 qualified nurses being out of work. This proposal would be a shot in the arm for them. The extra expense of hiring a qualified nurse would be a smaller price to pay than for the doctor to be disqualified from dispensing drugs in his/her own clinic. NAME AND ADDRESS SUPPLIED
