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The Pharmaceutical Journal Vol 266 No 7142 p458-461
April 7, 2001

The Society

Council Election

Candidates' “who's who”
Suggestions for questions
Council election procedure

Candidates' “who's who”

This year there are 12 candidates for the seven seats vacated by retiring members of the Royal Pharmaceutical Society's Council. Brief biographical details are given here. 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 18

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
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

(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.

Andrew Burr

Mr Andrew James Burr, BSc, DipClinPharm, MSc, MRPharmS, of Nuneaton, Warwickshire, aged 34 years, registered in 1989.

Current positions (i) Chief executive officer, Primary Care Group Holdings Plc; partner in an independent community pharmacy business. (iii) Member of Society's Council since 1998.

Previous positions (i) Managing director, Primary Care Group Ltd, 1998–2001; director of professional services, Practice Resource Systems Ltd, 1997–98; team leader, Welsh Prescribing Support Project, 1994–97; pharmaceutical adviser, Mid Glamorgan family health services authority, 1991–96. (iii) Member of Society's Council, 1995–97 (resigned); member of Society's Welsh Executive, 1994–96; secretary of Society's Mid-Glamorgan East branch, 1993–96. Chairman, Young Pharmacists Group, 1993, 1994, 1996.

Professional awards College of Pharmacy Practice award, 1990. United Kingdom Clinical Pharmacy Association award, 1991. Commended by Health Promotion Wales, 1994.

Financial declaration (a) Primary Care Group Holdings Plc. (b) Primary Care Group Ltd; locum; journalism and lecturing. (c) Primary Care Group Holdings Plc; Springpharm; Springbourne Developments, Number 9 Gallery.

Sarah Cockbill

Mrs Sarah Margaret Elizabeth Cockbill, PhD, LLM, BPharm, MPharm, DipAgVetPharm, MCPP, MIPharmM, FRPharmS, of Chepstow, Monmouthshire, aged 53 years, registered in 1970.

Current positions (i) Senior research associate, Welsh School of Pharmacy, part-time. Locum community pharmacist, part-time. (ii) Secretary and president elect, Soroptimist International, Cardiff and District. (iii) Member of Society's Welsh Executive. (iv) Member of court, University of Wales. Secretary, Veterinary Wound Healing Association. Visiting research fellow, Welsh National School of Medicine.

Previous positions (i) Director, University of Wales diploma/MSc in community pharmacy 1993–98. (iii) Chairman, Society's Welsh Executive, 1996–98; vice-chairman 1993–94 and 1995–96; chairman of working party investigating the executive's ways of working with the Welsh Assembly, 1997–98; member of executive's public affairs working group with responsibility for communication, 1999-2000. 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 British Pharmaceutical Conference, 1986 and 1990. Member, Welsh Pharmaceutical Committee's clinical effectiveness group, 1997–99. Associate examiner, College of Pharmacy Practice, 1993–94. Member of Welsh Committee for Postgraduate Pharmaceutical Education, 1992–95; postgraduate pharmaceutical education tutor for Cardiff and South Glamorgan, 1992–94. (iv) Member, Primary Care Advisory Group (Welsh Office), 1997–98. Visiting lecturer, department of dermatology, University of Wales College of Medicine, 1997–99. Member of council and treasurer, 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.

Sultan Dajani (“Sid”)

Mr Sultan Isam Dajani (“Sid”), BPharm, DipCommPharm, ACPP, MIPharmMI, MRPharmS, of Andover, aged 31 years, registered in 1993.

Current positions (i) Secretary to Kensington, Chelsea
and Westminster local pharmaceutical committee; locum; journalist; industry and community consultant. (iii) Chairman, Society's North Hampshire branch, since 1999; member of Society's Council since 1998; member of Council's Infringements Committee, Practice Committee (deputy chair), Industrial Pharmacists Group Committee, Primary Care Steering Group.

Previous positions (i) Manager of independent pharmacy, 1994–98; partner in independent pharmacy, 1999–2000. (iii) South-east area representative, British Pharmaceutical Students Association, 1990–91; public relations officer, Young Pharmacists Group, 1995–99. Member of Society's Council's Conference Committee (1998–2000), Science Committee (1999–2000), Law and Ethics Committee (1998–2000), Agricultural and Veterinary Pharmacists Group Committee (1998–99), working group on selection of chairmen and members of committees (1999-2000), asthma and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease task force (1999-2000).

Financial declaration (a) None. (b) Secretary, Kensington, Chelsea and Westminster local pharmaceutical committee; self-employed locum and industry/community consultant; journalist (trade and external publications). (c) None.

Marshall Davies

Mr Philip Leon Marshall Davies, JP, FRPharmS, of Oxton, Nottinghamshire, aged 62 years, registered in 1961.

Current positions (i) Non-executive director, Newark and Sherwood primary care trust; pharmacy/health care consultant. (ii) Justice of the Peace. Member, Poisons Board. (iii) Vice-President of the Society and member of Council.

Previous positions (i) Pharmacy superintendent, Boots the Chemists Ltd; director, Boots the Chemists Ltd and the Company Chemists Association. (iii) Member, Pharmaceutical Services Negotiating Committee; member, Leeds, Nottingham and Nottinghamshire local pharmaceutical committees. Member, Pharmaceutical General Council (Scotland). Trustee, National Pharmaceutical Association Pension Fund. (iv) Member, Prescription Pricing Authority. Member, Greater Glasgow Health Board.

Financial declaration (a) None. (b) Newark and Sherwood PCT; occasional consultancy. (c) None.

William Dawson

Professor William Dawson, BPharm, PhD, MSc, DSc, FRPharmS, FRSC, MCPP, of Alton, Hampshire, aged 62 years, registered in 1961.

Current positions (i) Independent health care consultant. (iii) Member of Society's Council since 1998; chairman of Science and Conference Committees, and member of Education Committee; elected member, Academy of Pharmaceutical Sciences board; member of Society's working parties on complementary therapies, futures and the Health Act; committee member of Society's North Hampshire branch committee. (iv) Member, research and development committee, Association of the British Pharmaceutical Industry. Member, Parliamentary affairs committee, Royal Society of Chemistry. Member, professional and education committee, Biochemical Society. Panel member, pharmacy unit of assessment, Research Assessment Exercise 2001.

Previous positions (i) Superintendent chemist, Guide Post Co-operative Society, 1960–61; assistant lecturer, School of Pharmacy, University of London, 1965–66; head of pharmacology, BIBRA, 1966–68; staff scientist, Worcester Foundation for Experimental Biology, United States, 1968–69; various positions at Eli Lilly & Co, Windlesham, Surrey, including research director and director of technology acquisition, Europe, 1969–96. (ii) Various committee and panel appointments in SERC, BBSRC, EPSRC and MRC, 1983–2000. Specialist subject reviewer, Quality Assurance Agency, 1998–2000. External examiner, School of Pharmacy, Brighton University, 1991–95. (iii) Chairman, Sunderland BPSA, 1959–60; BPSA national committee, 1960–61. Committee member, Society's West Hertfordshire branch 1965–67. R&D committee member, College of Pharmacy Practice, 1986–90. Member, Society's Research Awards Committee, 1990–91; member, Society's Science Committee, 1994–98; committee member, Society's Academic and Pharmaceutical Science Groups, 1999–2000.

Financial declaration (a) Director, Bionet Ltd, Natrocell Technologies Ltd, Proteome Sciences Plc. (b) Consultant to the health care industry and the related academic community; occasional pharmaceutical journalism; Contractor to Department of Trade and Industry; RAE 2001 panel member. (c) Bionet Ltd.

Wally Dove

Mr Walter Frederick Dove, BPharm, FRPharmS, of Titchfield, Hampshire, aged 56 years, registered in 1967.

Current positions (i) Community pharmacist — director of a corporate body running a retail pharmacy. (iii) Chairman, Pharmaceutical Services Negotiating Committee. Board member, National Phar- maceutical Association; NPA representative on the UK Delegation to the Pharmaceutical Group of the European Union; director, Chemists Defence Association; director, Pharmacy Mutual Insurance Co; director, Pharmaceutical & General Provident Society Ltd.

Previous positions (i) Industrial pharmacist, 1966–79. (iii) Chairman, National Pharmaceutical Association, 1995–96; vice-chairman 1994–95. Vice-chairman, Pharmaceutical Services Negotiating Committee, 1995–96; chairman, Isle of Wight local pharmaceutical committee, 1985–94.

Financial declaration (a) Regent (UK) Services Ltd. (b) Honorarium as PSNC chairman. (c) Regent (UK) Services Ltd.

Sally Greensmith

Mrs Sally Jane Greensmith, BSc (Hons), MRPharmS, of Godalming, aged 44 years, registered in 1978.

Current positions (i) Community pharmacy facilitator, West Surrey Health Authority. (iii) Public relations officer, Society's West Surrey branch. Secretary, West Surrey pharmacy development group.

Previous positions (i) Hospital preregistration trainee, Wirral hospitals 1977–78; community pharmacy manager, Fergussons Chemist, Chester, 1978–80, Underwoods Chemist Ltd, 1980–84. Professional Services Manager, Underwoods Chemist Ltd, 1984–85. Locum community pharmacist, 1986–97; Centre for Pharmacy Postgraduate Education tutor, West Surrey, 1998–2000. (iii) Committee member, Society's Wirral branch, 1979–80.

Financial declaration (a) None. (b) Community pharmacy facilitator, West Surrey Health Authority; occasional community pharmacy locums. (c) None.

Helen Remington

Mrs Helen St Claire Remington, BSc, MPharm, DMS, MRPharmS, of Cambridge, aged 46 years, registered in 1977.

Current positions (i) Chief pharmacist, Addenbrooke's Hospital, since 1996. (iii) Member of Society's Council since 1998; member of Council's Ethics Working Party. President, Guild of Healthcare Pharmacists, since 2000, guild member since 1976, national member since 1990. Member of Pharmaceutical Whitley Council since 1992.

Previous positions (i) Chief pharmacist, St James's University Hospital, Leeds, 1990–96. (iii) chairman, Society's Law and Ethics Committee, 1999–2000. Chairman, organisation committee, Guild Council, 1994–97. (iv) Member of General Whitley Council 1992–96.

Financial declaration (a) None. (b) Chief pharmacist and general manager for sterile services, Addenbrooke's Hospital. (c) None.

Ashwin Tanna

Mr Ashwinkumar Tanna, BSc, FRPharmS, of London, aged 56 years, registered in 1969.

Current positions (i) Community pharmacist — manager/employee since 1998. (ii) Chairman of East Dulwich Action Group since 1993. Member of board of governors, Goodrich Primary School, East Dulwich, since 1992. Chairman of Lordship Lane Traders Association since 1995. Committee member of Keep Dulwich Hospital Campaign since 1997. (iv) Founder member and chairman of Southwark Community Pharmacist Development Group.

Previous positions (i) Independent proprietor community pharmacist 1973–98. (ii) Chairman of local chamber of commerce 1980. Committee member of Southwark Police and Consultative Group 1995–98. Member of board of governors at various local schools in East Dulwich 1985–91. Independent candidate, local council elections, Southwark, 1998; independent candidate, London mayoral election, 2000; UK Independence Party candidate, Tottenham parliamentary by-election, 2000. (iii) Member of the Society's Council 1985–91, serving on various committees; past chairman of the Society's Organisation Committee and Audio-Visual Committee. Past president of Sunderland Polytechnic Students Union 1966.

Professional awards Civic Award by General Resolution of Southwark Council 1996 in recognition of community services. Designated as a fellow of the Society 1991 for the practice of pharmacy. Honorary Life membership of Sunderland Students Union 1968.

Financial declaration (a) None. (b) Chiporum Ltd. ( c) None.

Vanessa Taylor

Mrs Vanessa Marie Taylor, BSc (Pharm) (Manchester), MRPharmS, of Eastbourne, aged 54 years, registered in 1970.

Current positions (i) Community pharmacy — regional professional development manager, south east Region for Boots the Chemists. (iii) Member, Society's Community Pharmacists Group Committee; committee member and careers officer, Society's Eastbourne branch. Member, East Sussex local pharmaceutical committee; member, Bexley and Greenwich LPC; secretary, SE region forum of LPCs.

Previous positions Pharmacist with multiple, 1970–72; manager with multiple, 1972–74; locum community pharmacist, 1974–84; hospital pharmacist in the private sector, 1984–88; locum pharmacist, 1988–91; management positions with multiple, 1991–98.

Financial declaration (a) None. (b) Boots the Chemists, 1 Thane Road West, Beeston, Nottingham NG90 1BS. (c) None.

Alan Woodcock

Mr Alan H. Woodcock, DipClinPharm (Liverpool), MRPharmS, of Southport, aged 54 years, registered in 1969.

Current positions (i) Locum pharmacist in multiple and private practice. (iii) Secretary and treasurer, Sefton local pharmaceutical committee, and member since 1981. Public relations officer, careers officer and committee member of the Society's Sefton branch since 1971.

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 pharmacy 1985–99. (iii) Member, Sefton family practitioner committee, 1982–90; member Sefton family health services authority, 1990–94. Secretary, National Pharmaceutical Association Sefton branch, 1989–99. Member, Crosby and Maghull primary care group since 2000.

Financial declaration (a) None. (b) Pharmacist locum; secretary/treasurer, Sefton LPC. (c) None.

Ben Zatland

Mr Ben Zatland, JP, BPharm, FRPharmS, of Northwood, Middlesex, aged 65 years, registered in 1958.

Current positions (i) Proprietor of two community pharmacies. (ii) Justice of the Peace. (iii) Chairman, National Pharmaceutical Association, and board member since 1995. Chairman, Middlesex Pharmaceutical Group. Member, Ealing, Hammersmith and Hounslow local pharmaceutical committee.

Previous positions (iii) Chairman, Society's Ealing branch; secretary, Society's Ealing branch. (iv) Member, Ealing, Hammersmith and Hounslow family health services authority, 1984–96, and chairman of its remuneration and audit committee 1993–96. Member of discipline committee, clinical assessor and adviser to lay conciliator, Ealing, Hammersmith and Hounslow health authority. Panel member, NHS Appeals Authority, 1987–97.

Financial declaration (a) None. (b) Community pharmacy sole proprietor; (c) None.

Suggestions for questions

The Journal is to put three questions on topics of current interest to the Council election candidates and intends to publish their answers in the issue of April 21. Suggested questions may be submitted to the editor, The Pharmaceutical Journal, 1 Lambeth High Street, London SE1 7JN (e-mail editor@pharmj.org.uk).

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.