From Mr A. Tanna, FRPharmS
SIR,—The Secretary of State for Health's recent announcement of the National Health Service pharmacy plan is going to force compulsory continuing professional development on pharmacists before they are allowed to practise unless the profession takes an initiative towards fulfilling the criteria that the Minister wants from a self-regulatory body. At the Young Pharmacists Group annual conference, Mr Alan Nathan, a member of the Royal Pharmaceutical Society's Council and chairman of the CPD advisory group, stated that, in his opinion, CPD would be compulsory for pharmacists from January, 2002. I would like to suggest that we should go one step further in proposing a motion at our next annual general meeting in May, 2001, to amend the Society's Bye-laws to include the words, "All elected Council members, if they wish to continue serving the Council, should be required to do at least 30 hours of CPD every year from January, 2002. " This will certainly demonstrate not only to the Minister but also to the membership that the Council is determined and motivated as far as CPD is concerned and will set an example to the members.
Ashwin Tanna Sydenham, London