The California Pharmacists Association Denounces Attorney General Brown's Characterization Of Pharmacists As Drug Dealers

Main Category: Pharmacy / Pharmacist
Article Date: 19 Mar 2009 - 1:00 PDT

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On Friday, March 13, 2009, Attorney General Jerry Brown held a press conference regarding arrests made in the investigation of Anna Nicole Smith's death. During the conference, Brown compared pharmacists in white smocks to drug dealers by saying:

"Somebody died here," referring to Smith's 2007 death of an overdose at the age of 39. "People think those drug dealers on the street corner are the only threat. People in white smocks in pharmacies and with their medical degrees are a growing threat."

In response, the California Pharmacists Association (CPhA), speaking on behalf of more than 25,000 licensed pharmacists in the state, urges the Attorney General to retract his statement. "It is highly inappropriate for the Attorney General to make such a comparison when pharmacists are on the front lines of health care, protecting patients every day," states Lynn Rolston, Chief Executive Officer of CPhA. She further emphasizes, "Pharmacists have been found to have one of the highest levels of public trust. The Attorney General's attempt to the discredit the profession by publicly disparaging pharmacists is insulting and without merit."

According to a press release issued by the Attorney General's office last Friday, "the appropriate prescribing and dispensing practices of licensed doctors and pharmacies is under investigation."

Rolston continued by saying, "CPhA is fully supportive of the AG's goal of tackling illegal prescribing and abuse by patients through the Controlled Substance Utilization Review and Evaluation System (CURES) and believes working together is the only way to achieve the Attorney General's stated goal."

The California Pharmacists Association is the largest state pharmacy association in the nation and the professional society representing all pharmacists in California. The mission of the Association is to act as the leader in advocating the role of the pharmacist as an essential provider of health care and to support pharmacists in providing optimal patient care.

Source
California Pharmacists Association

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