The General Pharmacist Council Chief Executive Duncan Rudkin has made this official statement and we demand that he resigns:

"By contrast, the actions of a small minority are raising concerns and anger within the profession itself and more widely. Profiteering to take selfish advantage of the current challenging situation, whether with prices of shortage products or locum rates, risks bringing the profession into disrepute at a time when public confidence generally is so fragile, and so important.”

We as pharmacists are angered by his statement and it’s timing.

One, he does not have the right to issue a broad statement on pharmacists opinion and rates of pay. He hasn’t asked us. He’s not on the ground to see how hard and in what dangerous conditions we are working over this pandemic.

Two, he has never been concerned with how much pharmacists get paid or if they get paid at all. GPhC has refused to get involved in pay disputes.

Three, he has housed the GPhC HQ in Canary Wharf for £1.5 million a year while continuing to raise registrant fees albeit his own survey results showing majority of registrants do not agree with the rise.

And finally and most importantly Four, his comment describes pharmacists risking their lives daily on the frontline as selfish and profiteering. We do not wish for our regulator to be led by such an insensitive CEO. While he happily takes a £170,000 plus salary. 

He must therefore resign from his post and make way for someone else who is in touch with registrants daily struggles.