Much to gain; nothing to lose

摘要

LAST week, Lin-Nam Wang, senior contributions editor for The Journal and community pharmacist, appeared on BBC News to talk about medicines waste. She had written a blog on PJ Online following the dumping of medicines worth over ￡2,000 at a pharmacy after a patient had died. The BBC spotted it. We want to tell you about this not from vanity (although of course we are pleased that a pharmacist from The Journal made, the national news) but because of the comments written on the BBC website following her interview. They are both revealing and disturbing, and suggest that the level of public understanding about medicines, their cost and how they should best be used is even lower than many health professionals may hope. This point was picked up by Steve Williamson, consultant pharmacist for the North of England Cancer Network, commenting on the Facebook page of our sister publication Clinical Pharmacist. He wrote:"... some v strange comments on the discussion thread, people really have no clue to the cost of medicines, providing services etc."