Journal Review.

Some interesting points in this week's Journal (yes, really)!

An interview with Paul Gimson, who taught me a few times in university, and is a thoroughly decent chap. However, he's wrong on this though, I think.

“The fact that patients now do not have to pay means they can appreciate the service pharmacists provide more clearly. That can only be a good thing for patients and for pharmacy.”

Wrong. In fact, giving out paracetamol and ibuprofen for free only serves to make pharmacists seem even more like shopkeepers.

There's also an early April Fool's joke, whereby students at Keele "university" get their own computer generated character to talk to throughout the degree course. Apparently, this will help students counsel patients. Call me old-fashioned, but in my day we, er, talked to patients! It all sounds a bit World of Warcraft to me, and no doubt there will be CGI characters with improbable breasts who go out digging for gold.

Full bizarreness here. http://www.pjonline.com/Editorial/20080301/articles/p249atavars.html

Interesting letter, full of kindness and compassion, from a Mr. Matousek. I rather suspect that he is a better pharmacist than I will ever be. http://www.pjonline.com/Editorial/20080301/comment/lett08.html

Mr. Gush is, once again, too busy trying to makes his sums fit to answer some simple questions. http://www.pjonline.com/Editorial/20080301/comment/lett07.html

Free prescriptions in England? Believe me you do not want it. http://www.pjonline.com/Editorial/20080301/comment/lett03.html

The Society of Quacks is doing something-or-other, I'm not sure what. Though quite why it needs to be reported in a supposedly scientific publication is beyond me. http://www.pjonline.com/Editorial/20080301/news/p237homeopaths.html

Free access to journals! Hurrah! http://www.pjonline.com/Editorial/20080301/news/p238freeaccess.html

Interesting article on extemporaneous dispensing. It claims that "around six extemporaneous preparations were dispensed per pharmacy per month in the UK" . I find that hard to believe, personally. I think I've done two in eighteen months, both for ephedrine nasal drops, and that doesn't really count. In fairness, it's something I'd like to see more of, but it's impractical to carry out in most pharmacies.

Job section: The usual propaganda crap from Boots and Tesco, that Bermuda job's there again, something going in the Orkneys which may be interesting, and something in Queensland.