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medpundit |
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Sunday, October 24, 2004Pharmacists in England and Wales could offer some health services currently provided by GPs, under a new deal agreed with the government. These would include supplying repeat prescriptions, offering basic health advice and blood pressure checks. This was common practice in the 18th and 19th centuries, when the word "doctor" applied to a range of professions of different social standing. The apothecary was the druggist. He was the lowest man on the social totem pole - not only did he touch people, but he was a merchant to boot. Surgeons were a step above - they touched people, but they weren't merchants. More like a skilled tradesman. The most elevated of all was the physician who went to medical school and thus was highly educated but didn't touch people, except to delicately take a pulse. That's why the snobby characters in Jane Austen's novels always referred pointedly to calling "the physician, not the apothecary." UPDATE: A reader comments: That's still reflected in British medical customs today. Surgeons are addressed as "Mister"/"Miss"/"Missus". Physicians are addressed as "Doctor". I note that you don't offer an opinion on the changes they're talking about. While I'm uncertain about this particular reform, I suspect that serious reform in the practice of medicine is inevitable largely due to technology, educational reforms, and the increasing significance of the healthcare sector in the overall economy. This latter suggests that there will be a significantly increasing number of very educated people in healthcare (as a proportion of the population) who aren't doctors. I'd be surprised if the present practice of medicine can survive this as-is. posted by Sydney on 10/24/2004 09:25:00 PM 0 comments 0 Comments: |
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