Unison's Karen Jennings (News Focus, page 13, 15 January) should read the Medicines Act again and more carefully. Not only can pharmacists prescribe according to their own judgement, but what they prescribe does not even have to be licensed by the Medicines Control Agency.

In this respect they are as free as doctors to prescribe whatever is necessary to treat the patient's needs. The only things that pharmacists cannot prescribe legally are those in the Statutory Instrument that lists items that only 'practitioners' - doctors, dentists, vets - may prescribe.

MP Thompson,

London N11.

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