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The Department of Health has appointed Dr Jim Smith as full-time chief pharmaceutical officer for England. Dr Smith will take up the position on January 15, 2001 - 21 months after the retirement of his predecessor, Dr Bryan Hartley. |
Announcing Dr Smith's appointment on December 4, Lord Hunt (Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Health) said that implementing the pharmacy plan for England would require knowledge, understanding, a clear sense of purpose and strong leadership. Dr Smith had an in-depth knowledge of pharmaceuticals, pharmacy and the NHS, and high standing in the profession. He was also highly regarded by associated professions and had all the qualities required for implementing "Pharmacy in the future ".
Dr Smith's first tasks will be to establish and lead a taskforce on partnership in prescribing and to take forward debate on the roles of pharmacists and their staff, so that full use is made of the talents and skills of pharmacy technicians and other support workers.
A statement from the Department said that Dr Smith had worked in community, hospital, industrial and academic pharmacy and had particular interests in community pharmacy development, in medicines information and adverse drug reaction monitoring, and in the management of prescribing and medicines use. He had also worked on the pharmaceuticals programme of the World Health Organisation regional office for Europe.
Dr Smith is widely believed to have been offered the post in the first quarter of 1999 but to have been unable to agree a satisfactory remuneration package.
