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The Pharmaceutical Journal Vol 264 No 7091 p536-539
April 8, 2000 The Society

Council election

Candidates' "who's who"

This year there are 16 candidates for the seven seats vacated by retiring members of the Royal Pharmaceutical Society's Council. Brief biographical details are given on this and the following pages. Voting papers and statements of policy will be posted early next week and completed voting papers must be received by the Electoral Reform Society not later than noon on May 12

Biographical details

Candidates in the Council election are asked to provide standardised biographical details, including:

  • name,
  • age,
  • town,
  • year of registration,
  • academic qualifications,
  • civil honours,
  • professional awards,
  • current positions held and
  • previous positions held.

For both current and previous positions, the information is subdivided as follows:

  • (i) occupation - branch of pharmacy and position held;
  • (ii) public service positions;
  • (iii) positions held as either an officer or a member of the governing body or committee of any pharmaceutical organisation, including the local branch of the Society; and
  • (iv) positions held as either an officer or a member of the governing body or committee of any organisation associated with health services, science or pharmaceutical education.

Declaration of financial interest

In accordance with a decision of the Council (PJ, January 21, 1978, p50), a declaration of each candidate's financial interest has also been requested, on a voluntary basis. Following each biography is a declaration of the positions or companies from which the candidate benefits financially, subdivided as follows:

  • (a) remunerated directorships of companies, public or private;
  • (b) remunerated employments, offices, trades, professions or vocations;
  • (c) the names of companies or other bodies in which the candidate has, to his or her knowledge, either alone or with or on behalf of a spouse or infant children, a beneficial interest in shareholdings of a nominal value greater than one-hundredth of the issued share capital.

Candidates

Gordon Appelbe

Gordon Applebe Dr Gordon Edward Appelbe, LLB, PhD, MSc, BSc (Pharm), FRPharmS, Hon MPS (Aus), FCCP, FRSH, of London, aged 69 years, registered in 1956.

Current positions - (i) Independent pharmaceutical/legal consultant. Co-author of ‘Dale and Appelbe's Pharmacy Law and Ethics'. Lecturer and author of numerous articles on pharmaceutical matters. (iii) Member of Society's Council since 1991, current Treasurer of Society, former chairman of Science Committee and member of following committees: Law and Ethics, Policy, Science, Industrial Pharmacists Group, Pharmaceutical Sciences Group, Veterinary Pharmacists Group; member of Society's working parties on fitness to practice and the Health Act.
Previous positions - (i) Employee community pharmacist; Society's inspector and head of Society's Law Department. (iii) Secretary of UK pharmacy delegation to the European Union. Chairman of Society's Birmingham branch; President of Birmingham pharmaceutical association. (iv) Consultancy assignments on pharmaceutical legislation for World Health Organisation and overseas governments.
Financial declaration - (a) None. (b) Consultancy work. (c) None.

Hassan Argomandkhah

Hassan ArgomandkhahMr Hassan Argomandkhah, BSc (Hons), MRPharmS, of Liverpool, aged 38 years, registered in 1985.

Current positions - (i) Proprietor community pharmacist since 1988; Numark lecturer in pharmacy management, Liverpool school of pharmacy and chemistry, since 1995. (iii) Member of Society's Council since 1994; chairman of its mental health task force; member of Education, Practice and Academic Pharmacy Group committees; Member of Society's Liverpool branch and Mersey regional committees. Chairman of Liverpool pharmaceutical committee since 1998.
Previous positions - (i) Community pharmacy manager.
Financial declaration - (a) None (b). HA Chemists; Liverpool John Moores university; contributing editor to Community Pharmacy magazine. (c) None.

Sarah Cockbill

Sarah Cockbill Sarah Margaret Elizabeth Cockbill, LLM, BPharm, MPharm, DAgVetPharm, MCPP, MIPharmM, FRPharmS, of Chepstow, Monmouthshire, aged 52 years, registered in 1970.

Current positions - (i) Part-time senior research associate, Welsh school of pharmacy. Part-time locum community pharmacist. (iii) Member of Society's Welsh Executive with responsibility for communication of the Executive's public affairs working group; careers officer, Society's Cardiff and Vale of Glamorgan branch. (iv) Member of Court, University of Wales. Secretary, Veterinary Wound Healing Association. Secretary, Soroptimist International Cardiff and District.
Previous positions - (iii) Chairman of Society's Welsh Executive 1996-98; vice-chairman 1993-94 and 1995-96. Chairman of working party investigating the Welsh Executive's ways of working with the Welsh Assembly 1997-98. Associate examiner, College of Pharmacy Practice, 1993-94. Public relations officer, Society's Cardiff and South Glamorgan branch 1979-83; chairman, 1985-87; vice-chairman, 1987-88 and 1984-85, secretary 1982-84; assistant secretary 1981-82. Secretary, local organising committee for the British Pharmaceutical Conference 1986-90. (iv) Member, Welsh Pharmaceutical Committee's clinical effectiveness group, 1997-99. Member, Primary Care Advisory Group (Welsh Office), 1997-98. Director, University of Wales diploma/ MSc in community pharmacy, 1993-98. Visiting lecturer, department of dermatology, University of Wales College of Medicine, 1997-99. Member, Welsh Committee for Postgraduate Pharmaceutical Education, 1992-95; postgraduate pharmaceutical education tutor for Cardiff and South Glamorgan 1992-94. Member of council and treasurer of the European Wound Management Association 1991-97.
Financial declaration - (a) None. (b) Senior research associate, Welsh school of pharmacy, community pharmacy locums, pharmaceutical writing and consultancy. (c) None.

Ian Conquest

Ian Conquest Mr Ian Richard Conquest, BPharm (Hons), MRPharmS, MIPharmI, of Bradford, aged 43 years, registered in 1979.

Current positions - (i) Independent proprietor pharmacist since 1979. (iii) Board member, National Pharmaceutical Association. Member of Pharmaceutical Services Negotiating Committee. Chairman of Pharmacy Mutual Insurance Co. Member of Bradford local pharmaceutical committee. Committee member of Society's Yorkshire region; committee member of Society's Bradford branch. (iv) Member of health improvement programme (HImP) board, Bradford health authority. Member, clinical steering group, NHS Direct, West Yorkshire. Member of oral hearings panel, Health Services Appeal Authority.
Previous positions - (iii) Chairman, Pharmaceutical & General Provident Society Ltd, 1998-99. Chairman of Society's Yorkshire region 1993-95; chairman of Society's Bradford branch 1989-91 and public relations officer 1991-95.
Financial declaration - (a) Conquests Chemists Ltd. (b) Bradford health authority HImP board. (c) Conquests Chemists Ltd.

Peter Curphey

Peter CurpheyMr Peter John Curphey, BPharm, FRPharmS, of the Isle of Man, aged 57 years, registered in 1967.

Current positions - (i) Independent proprietor. (iii) Member of Society's Council since 1994; chairman of Practice Committee since 1998. Chairman, local pharmaceutical committee.
Previous positions - (i) Boots employee 1967-84 (branch manager and training department). (iii) Secretary and chairman, LPC, 1984-92. (iii) Member of Society branch committee 1984-92. President of Society 1997-98; Vice-President 1996-97; chairman, Practice Committee 1995-96, Education Committee 1994-95; member of Council 1989-92.
Financial declaration - (a) Scarista Ltd. (b) Village Pharmacy Ltd. Consultancy Bates Healthcom. (c) None.

Steven Curtis

Steven CurtisMr Steven Henry Curtis, MRPharmS, of Stanmore, Middlesex, aged 32 years, registered in 1992.

Current positions - (i) Independent proprietor community pharmacist since 1995.
Financial declaration - (a) owner, Roseberry Pharmacy, Benfleet; director (50 per cent share owner), Security Research Technologies Ltd. (b) None. (c) None.

Brian Curwain

Brian Curwain

Dr Brian Peter Curwain, BPharm, PhD, MRPharmS, of Christchurch, aged 53 years, registered in 1969.

Current positions - (i) Prescribing adviser to the New Forest primary care group. (iii) Committee member of Society's Dorset branch; vice-chairman of Society's Wessex regional committee. (iv) Board member, New Forest primary care group; chairman of Dorset pharmacy development group.
Previous positions - (i) Lecturer in physiology, St Mary's Hospital medical school 1973-88, freelance community pharmacist and pharmaceutical adviser 1988-99. (iii) Chairman of Society's Dorset branch 1996-2000. (iv) Senator of London university, 1986-88.
Professional awards - Margaret Gordon Research Prize, 1977.
Financial declaration - (a) None. (b) Prescribing adviser, New Forest Primary Care Group; occasional consultancy, teaching and writing. (c) None.

Alison Ewing

Alison Ewing

Miss Alison Barbour Ewing, BSc (Hons), MSc (clinical pharmacy), MRPharmS, of Chester, aged 40 years, registered in 1982.

Current positions - (i) Director of pharmacy, Countess of Chester NHS trust since 1997. (iii) Member of Standing Pharmaceutical Advisory Committee since 1996. Member of independent ethics committee for Medeval Ltd, University of Manchester, since 1990, and vice-chairman since 1994. Committee member of Society's South Cheshire branch since 1998 and public relations officer since April, 1999.
Previous positions - (i) Pharmacy patient services manager, Ladywell hospital, Salford, 1990-97; business development manager, Surgichem Ltd, May to September, 1990; staff pharmacist, community services, Greater Glasgow health board (south), 1985-90; staff pharmacist, drug information/clinical services, Southern general hospital, Glasgow, 1984-85; basic grade pharmacist/MSc student, Southern general hospital/University of Strathclyde, 1982-84; pharmacy preregistration trainee, Lothian health board, Edinburgh Royal infirmary, July, 1981, to July, 1982. (iii) Pharmacist member of Standing Medical Advisory Committee subgroup on antimicrobial resistance to September, 1998. Chairman of organising committee for Guild of Healthcare Pharmacists national weekend school, Chester, 1998. Member of Society's working party on "future of hospital pharmacy" 1998-99. Member of national committee, Community Services Pharmacists Group, 1986-97, and national secretary 1989-97. Committee member of Society's Manchester, Salford and Trafford branch 1994-97. Society's representative on Royal College of Physicians working group on medication for elderly people, December, 1994, to September, 1996. Committee member of Society's West of Scotland branch, 1988-90.
Financial declaration - (a) None. (b) Director of pharmacy, Countess of Chester NHS trust; occasional lecturing and writing on pharmaceutical topics. (c) None.

Nicola Gray

Nicola Gray

Dr Nicola Jane Gray, BSc (Hons), PhD, MRPharmS, of Hatch End, Middlesex, aged 31 years, registered in 1991.

Current positions - (i) Academic pharmacist - research assistant, Centre for Pharmacy Practice, London School of Pharmacy; community pharmacist locum.
Previous positions - (i) Hospital preregistration trainee, Bolton Royal infirmary, 1990-91; community pharmacy manager, Moss Chemists 1992-95, Noble & Peacock Pharmacy 1995-96; PhD student, University of Manchester 1996-99. (iii) President, British Pharmaceutical Students' Association 1991-92; chairman of Society's Community Pharmacists Group 1995-97; member and secretary of Society's North Western regional committee 1990-99; chairman of Society's Manchester, Salford and Trafford branch 1996-99; Pharmacy in a New Age North Western regional co-ordinator 1995-99. (iv) Community pharmacist representative, National Health Service Executive North West research and development primary care steering group 1997-99.
Professional awards - Society's Sir Hugh Linstead community pharmacy practice research fellowship 1996-97 and 1997-98.
Financial declaration - (a) None. (b) Research assistant, London School of Pharmacy; part-time self-employed locum; occasional income from articles and consultancy. (c) None.

David Kent

David Kent

Mr David Roy Kent, BPharm (Hons) (London), MRPharmS, of London, aged 55 years, registered in 1968.

Current positions - (i) Community - secretary to Camden and Islington local pharmaceutical committee. (iii) Member, North Central Thames Primary Care Research Network (NoCTeN) clinical peer review group.
Previous positions - (i) Employee pharmacist in community pharmacy 1968-73; proprietor pharmacist in community pharmacy 1973-93; locum pharmacist in community and hospital practice 1993-94; secretary to Kensington, Chelsea and Westminster LPC 1994-98; secretary to London Central Pharmaceutical Executive 1994-99. (ii) Member of Camden and Islington LPC 1983-89 and chairman 1989-93. Member, Department of Health task force on nurse prescribing 1989-90. Auditor of Society's North Metropolitan branch 1983-88.
Financial declaration - (a) None. (b) Secretary to Camden and Islington LPC; occasional locum pharmacist. (c) None.

Kirit Patel

Kirit PatelMr Kirit Patel, MRPharmS, MBA, DipPhil, of Croydon, aged 50 years, registered in 1974.

Current positions - (i) Community pharmacist. (iii) Chairman, National Pharmaceutical Association. Member, Pharmaceutical Services Negotiating Committee; chairman, information and communication standing committee of PSNC. Vice-chairman, Merton Sutton and Wandsworth local pharmaceutical committee.
Previous positions - (iii) Chairman, Pharmaceutical and General Provident Society, 1998-99.
Financial declaration - (a) Day Lewis Plc. (b) Day Lewis Group. (c) Day Lewis Group.

Graham Phillips

Graham Phillips

Mr Graham Stuart Phillips, BPharm, Dip Comm Pharm, MRPharmS, of St Albans, aged 41 years, registered in 1982.

Current positions - (i) Community pharmacy proprietor. (iii) Board member, National Pharmaceutical Association. Vice-chairman, West Hertfordshire local pharmaceutical committee. Chairman, Unichem pharmaceutical consultative board. (iv) Prescribing lead, Harpenden primary care group. Financial declaration - (a) Director/proprietor, Manor Pharmacy Group. (b) Pharmaceutical journalism and consultancy; Harpenden and Villages primary care group. (c) None.

Alaster Rutherford

Alaster Rutherford

Mr Alaster James Rutherford, BPharm, MRPharmS, of Bristol, aged 46 years, registered in 1977.

Current positions - (i) Primary care pharmacist. (iii) Regional secretary of Society's South-West region. (iv) Board member, Weston-Super-Mare primary care group. Centre for Pharmacy Postgraduate Education tutor, Bristol/ Bath. Previous positions - (i) Community pharmacy manager, Boots 1997-86, Lloyds 1986-87, Elliotts Pharmacy 1987-92, Marks Chemist 1992-94. (iii) Secretary, Avon local pharmaceutical committee, 1992-98. Chairman of Society's Bristol branch 1992 and 1995-98. Associates representative, College of Pharmacy Practice board of governors 1996-98. (iv) Non-executive director, Avon health authority, 1994-97. Financial declaration - (a) None. (b) CPPE tutor; Weston-Super-Mare PCG; consultancy work to GPs; locum work. (c) None.

Linda Stone

Linda Stone

Mrs Linda Jane Stone, BPharm (Wales), FRPharmS, of Solihull, aged 48 years, registered in 1973.

Current positions - (i) Community pharmacy locum. (ii) Justice of the peace. (iii) Member of the Society's Council; chairman of Education Committee; committee member of Society's Birmingham branch (chairman 1993-95) and West Midlands region; vice-president and executive member, National Association of Women Pharmacists (president 1980-82). (iv) Member, Steering Committee on Pharmacy Postgraduate Education. Lay member, General Chiropractic Council. Independent member, Prescription Medicines Code of Practice Authority. Specialist reviewer, Quality Assurance Agency for Higher Education. Non-contract pharmacist, pharmacy contract appeals panels. Vice-president, Royal Society for Prevention of Accidents. Previous positions - (i) Superintendent pharmacist and manager in multiple and privately owned pharmacies, South Wales, 1973-79; community and hospital locum, South Wales 1980-82, Manchester 1982-87. (ii) Chairman designate, Solihull hospital, 1993-95. (iii) President of Society 1990-91, Vice-President 1989-90; chaired various Council committees. Committee member of Society's Manchester, Salford and Trafford branch 1982-87, Gwent branch 1974-82 (chairman 1975-76), North West region 1982-88, Mersey region 1983-87, Sherwood region 1995-96. Member, executive committee, community pharmacy section, International Pharmaceutical Federation, 1991-99. Member, British Pharmaceutical Students Association executive, 1972-73. (iv) Council chairman, RoSPA, 1989-94; member of executive committee 1987-94, home safety committee 1981-93 (chairman 1987-93). Member, Standing Pharmaceutical Advisory Committee 1990-91, National Forum for Coronary Heart Disease Prevention 1985-89, Child Accident Prevention Trust 1986-93. Financial declaration - (a) None. (b) Self-employed locum services; honoraria from PMCPA and GCC. (c) None.

Robert Wood

Robert Wood

Mr Robert Anthony Wood, BPharm (Hons), MRPharmS, ACPP, of Harrogate, aged 23 years, registered in 1998.

Current positions - (i) Community pharmacy - relief consultant pharmacist, Boots the Chemists Ltd. (iii) Assistant secretary and committee member of Society's Harrogate branch. Previous positions - (i) Community pharmacist, Tesco Pharmacy Ltd, March to June, 1999; locum community pharmacist, various employers throughout North and West Yorkshire, November, 1998, to March, 1999. Financial declaration - (a) None. (b) Boots the Chemists Ltd, 1 Thane Road West, Nottingham NG2 3AA. (c) None.

Alan Woodcock

Alan Woodcock

Mr Alan Hamilton Woodcock, of South- port, aged 53 years, registered in 1969.

Current positions - (i) Locum pharmacist in multiple and private community pharmacy. (iii) Member of Sefton local pharmaceutical committee since 1981 and currently secretary and treasurer. Committee member of Society's Sefton branch since 1971 and currently public relations officer and careers officer. Previous positions - (i) Manager of private pharmacy 1970-74; staff pharmacist, Southport hospitals, 1974-78; manager of very large multiple pharmacy 1978-85; owner/proprietor of own pharmacy 1985-99. (iii) Member of Sefton family practitioner committee 1982-90; member of Sefton family health services authority 1990-94; secretary of National Pharmaceutical Association Sefton branch 1989-99. Financial declaration - (a) None. (b) Pharmacist locum; secretary/treasurer, Sefton LPC. (c) None.

Council election procedure

THE Council of the Royal Pharmaceutical Society has decided that its policy in relation to Council elections should be published each year to enable the membership, and candidates in the election in particular, to be fully aware of the Council's current views on the matter
As a general principle, the Council remains convinced that the membership is best served when each aspect of the election is conducted in a manner that, so far as possible, gives candidates an equal opportunity of presenting their views to the membership.
The following criteria will, in the Council's view, prevent any member having an advantage over colleagues by virtue of financial resources or any other special influence. They represent a relaxation of previous rules and are designed: (a) to encourage more members to vote in the Council election and (b) to ensure that those members who do vote are as well informed about the candidates as possible.

1. Canvassing The Council firmly believes that individual canvassing is not appropriate in elections for membership of the governing body of a profession.
Candidates are expected to refrain from any personal canvassing or from requesting or giving permission for canvassing to be done on their behalf. Candidates who become aware that any person, group or organisation intends to canvass on their behalf will be expected to make every effort to dissuade those concerned from doing so.

2. Biographical details Biographical details, which are published in The Pharmaceutical Journal, will be standardised under the following headings: (a) name and town; (b) age; (c) year of registration; (d) academic qualifications; (e) civil honours; (f) professional awards; (g) current positions held; (h) previous positions held (with dates). Both (g) and (h) are subdivided as follows: (i) occupation, branch of pharmacy and position held; (ii) public service positions; (iii) positions held as either an officer or a member of the governing body or committee of any pharmaceutical organisation, including the local branch of the Society; and (iv) positions held as either an officer or a member of the governing body or committee of any organisation associated with health services, science or pharmaceutical education.
Candidates, if they wish, may make further reference to their history or experience in their statements of policy.
Candidates are also asked to declare positions or companies from which they benefit financially, under the headings: (a) remunerated directorships of companies, public or private; (b) remunerated employments, offices, trades, professions or vocations; (c) the names of companies or other bodies in which the candidate has to his or her knowledge, either alone or with or on behalf of a spouse or infant children, a beneficial interest in shareholdings of a nominal value greater than one-hundredth of the issued share capital.

3. Residential requirement Candidates in the election must be members of the Society who are normally resident in Great Britain, the Isle of Man or the Channel Islands.

4. Statements of policy Candidates' statements of policy will continue to be sent direct to each member of the Society with the voting papers, thereby allowing candidates the maximum freedom of expression. The Council considers that this is the only practical method of presenting to the membership the unedited views of each candidate.
The length of each candidate's statement of policy and biographical details should not exceed 630 words.

5. Contributions to the pharmaceutical press The editor of The Pharmaceutical Journal will continue the policy of not accepting letters from candidates for inclusion in the issue in which the nominations are published and thereafter until the date of the election. Candidates will be asked to observe the spirit of the Journal policy by not sending letters to other pharmaceutical journals for inclusion in issues which will be published after the end of March.
The Council accepts, however, that it is frustrating to candidates if they cannot comment on questions of interest to the profession, which have arisen since a statement of policy was prepared. To overcome this problem and so assist members to make the most informed decision possible when voting, the Council has agreed that the editors of The Pharmaceutical Journal and other pharmaceutical publications will be invited to pose up to three questions to each candidate standing for the Council election. The questions will be topical and the candidates' replies will be published in the respective journals.
The timing of publication will, with advantage, be as close as possible to the mailing of the voting papers and obviously will be after the nominations for election have been published in The Pharmaceutical Journal. Questions asked will be at the discretion of individual editors and each response will be restricted in length to ensure fairness. Candidates will be given a deadline by which to respond and the editors will naturally reserve the right to edit the responses, normally in consultation with the candidate.

6. "House" and member organisation magazines It is recognised that candidates might wish to make an announcement regarding their intention to run for the Council election in the official magazine of any organisations of which they are a member or employee. There will be no objection to the publication of news announcements in "house" magazines, member organisation magazines and newsletters published by the Society's membership groups, provided the following conditions are observed: (a) the announcement is of a factual nature, and supplies no more details than candidates' name, place of residence, age and current connection with the organisation concerned; (b) the announcement is published free of charge; (c) if there is more than one candidate making an announcement, each candidate is given the same amount of space in the magazine; (d) if a photograph is to be published with the announcement it is a recent one of modest size. It will be possible for announcements of this nature to be published at any time leading up to an election.
There will also be no objection to magazines of this kind undertaking a similar exercise as that described for The Pharmaceutical Journal and other pharmaceutical publications. The editors may therefore pose up to three questions to all candidates standing for the Council election, following the same procedures and subject to the same conditions.

7. Branch and regional newsletters Similarly, there is no objection to branch and regional newsletters publishing the views of candidates on any particular topic, provided certain criteria are observed. All candidates in the election should be given an equal opportunity to participate up to a stated maximum number of words, and the views expressed by candidates should be printed without editorial comment or amendment, except in the latter case where publication might lead to libel action. It would not be equitable if a branch or regional committee newsletter asked for support for one or more candidates, particularly for geographical reasons.

8. Adherence of candidates to the rules As previously stated, the rules are intended to ensure that each candidate has an equal opportunity of presenting policies to the electorate. Adherence to these rules is a matter of accepting this policy and abiding by the rules as a matter of personal integrity. In the past there have been complaints that some candidates have not adhered to the spirit of the rules.
Candidates standing for the Council election will be required to sign a declaration confirming: (a) their agreement to abide by the Council election procedures; and (b) that they will do everything possible to ensure that others do not, on their behalf, act in conflict with the rules.
The material sent to candidates and the declaration mentioned above will clearly state the period during which the protocols for this procedure will be in force, which will normally be from the end of March until the date of the election.
Any candidate who appears to breach the signed declaration will be required to give an explanation to the President and the Council as to why they allowed a breach of the protocol to occur. This will apply to a candidate whether or not elected to the Council.

9. Hustings The Council, while it has decided that the Society centrally should not organise a hustings event, does not object to outside organisations as well as regions or branches arranging events of this kind if they so wish, provided all candidates are given an equal opportunity to present their views. There will be no restriction on the reporting of hustings events by the pharmaceutical press. Travelling distances may make it difficult for all candidates to attend such meetings. The Council considers that if a candidate cannot attend, he or she should have an opportunity of submitting a statement, equal in length to the opening statements of candidates who are able to attend, to be read by the chairman or some other appropriate person.