An open letter calling on candidates for the RPS presidency to oppose the supervision of medicines supply by pharmacy technicians has been signed by over 500 pharmacists. 

Contractors Mike Hewitson and Ben Merriman penned the letter in response to the Department of Health’s plans to increase the scope of technicians’ responsibilities via the ‘Rebalancing Board’.

The letter says that “anything other than a strong and robust opposition to these proposals by the RPS, its staff and elected officials will be seen as a betrayal by the thousands of community pharmacists in membership of the organisation”, as well as over two million members of the public who signed an NPA petition in support of pharmacists.

The authors say: “Patients and the public know and expect to be able to speak to a pharmacist in a pharmacy at any time, pharmacists in practice are no substitute for this on-demand provision of professional care and advice.

“In recent years, RPS has placed too much emphasis on this emerging role, which even by 2020/21 will see pharmacists available in practices on average one day a week. Our professional body must stand up for community pharmacists and their patients.”