I am concerned but not at all surprised that pharmacists may be asked to treat certain acute illnesses (Pharmacies in England to offer prescriptions for seven conditions amid surgery crisis, 9 May). Primary medical care has morphed into general practice in two senses. First, members of the primary healthcare team are no longer necessarily medically qualified, but may be drawn from nursing, physiotherapy and other professions. Second, the primary function of GPs – diagnosing and treating mental and physical illness in the community – has been subsumed into a tsunami of additional tasks. Some have been imposed by government or academic diktat, others requested by an increasingly needy and demanding public.
I am pleased that the Guardian qualified one of the proposed conditions, urinary tract infections (UTI). Other media sources were less careful. Uncomplicated UTI in women is usually easy to manage, but not always easy to diagnose. Other conditions need to be considered, including sexually transmitted disease and interstitial (autoimmune) cystitis. Also, men and trans women require specifically tailored treatment. Good medical care is surprisingly complex and difficult to achieve. I fervently hope that my pharmacist colleagues are given the training and resources they will require.
Dr Peter Baddeley
Painswick, Gloucestershire
