Tribute to Eugene Thomas Fitzpatrick Ball

My father passed away on 5 January 2014, aged 93. Eugene (Gene) registered in 1944 and worked for the whole of his working life for the Boots Company. A dedicated pharmacist, he nevertheless also brought to work his outside interests in photography and high-fidelity sound. This caused some consternation among his seniors when his Weoley Castle, Birmingham, branch outsold many larger branches in cameras and audio. Nevertheless, his prime focus was always the wellbeing of the patient.

In the 1950s, when confronted over a public holiday with a patient from out of town who had forgotten her medications, he made an emergency supply of two days’ worth of Tolbutamide tablets, and recorded the supply in the prescription book. When this was spotted by the Society’s inspectors, he was reported to the Statutory Committee for making an illegal supply. The Statutory Committee decided to take no action. Shortly after this, following representations by the Society, the law was changed and the emergency supply regulations as we know them today came into being.

When aseptic dispensing from community pharmacy was first contemplated, my father was trained and certificated for the preparation of aseptic products including intrathecal injections, although subsequently the plans to develop a clean room in Boots Birmingham Day and Night shop did not finally come to fruition. A gentleman, a model father and a most professional pharmacist who kept himself informed throughout his retirement.