The Society

Branch representatives' meeting

This report, approved by the Royal Pharmaceutical Society's Council at its October meeting, gives the Council's response to the resolutions passed at the Society's branch representatives' meeting in May (PJ, 2 June, p742-45)

Council's response to resolutions

Unfilled BRM places That Council should offer any unfilled places at the branch representatives' meeting to those branches attending. [Shropshire]

The Council would welcome observers from the branch at the branch representatives' meeting. However, any such attendance should be self-funded in terms of travel and accommodation. The Council believes that the branch representatives' meeting should remain a forum for representatives from the branches in direct proportion to the number of members in each branch. The Council is examining ways in which to encourage improved branch representation at the meeting by promoting a programme that includes matters of current importance and wider interest.

Media skills That all members of Council and others who speak on behalf of the Society, such as branch public relations officers, must wherever possible pursue a course in public speaking and media skills and also familiarise themselves with the correct use of public address equipment. [Cardiff and Vale of Glamorgan]

The Society agrees that all efforts to improve and maintain high standards in public speaking should be taken. The public relations unit makes available professional media training to all BPROs, members of the Council and appropriate members of staff. The costs of this one-day course, which is run three times a year, are met by the Society. The training is undertaken by a professional media consultant and covers all aspects of dealing with broadcast and written media and also enables participants to take part in live interviews.

The Society's membership unit sends a feedback form for branch secretaries to return after speakers have visited branch meetings and is able to monitor standards of headquarters speakers, including any problems that may have occurred with a PA system. The unit is not aware that speakers experience widespread difficulty with the use of PA systems. There are plans to review the provision of branch speakers and the comments received from branches as part of "Shaping up for the future" will be taken into account.

Community pharmacy image That the Society needs to change the image of community pharmacy in the high street from retailer to health professional. [Dudley and Stourbridge]

The Council recognises and encourages the crucial importance of promoting a professional image but is unable to provide material assistance to pharmacists to implement these ideas but will continue to promote to the public and opinion formers that community pharmacies are a key source of professional advice and health care.

The Society sets standards for pharmacy premises that are set out in the Code of Ethics and are monitored by the Society's inspectors. However, the Society has no powers to enforce a professional image on individual retail premises outside the purely pharmacy area.

Pharmacists are always encouraged by the Society inspectors to maintain the outward appearances of pharmacy premises and by so doing present a professional image to members of the public.

Local pharmacy services That the Society must do everything in its power to ensure the survival of local community pharmacies. The reality of these pharmacies is that pharmacists know and care for their customers, their treatment and the outcome of that treatment. [Dudley and Stourbridge]

The Council endorses the value of accessible, locally tailored services that meet the needs of the public and patients. The Council will continue to seek every opportunity to emphasise the value of the community pharmacy network as a source of user-friendly, comprehensive, local pharmacy services and of access to the expert help and advice of pharmacists. The Society's role in the development of the pharmacy profession is to ensure that all pharmacists are fully equipped to deliver high quality pharmaceutical services.

The Government has shown its support for the future of the profession through the development of such programmes as "Pharmacy in the future", but has indicated that pharmacy practice will need to change, with services increasingly tailored to meet local need.

Much of the Society's current work programme is concerned with helping to prepare the profession for change. The work of the Society's Professional Development and Professional Standards Directorates includes the development of new professional standards and practice guidance to help pharmacists prepare for new roles. Other activities include supporting pharmacy development groups and working towards the implementation of repeat dispensing and pharmacist prescribing.

E-pharmacy That the Society develop means of regulating, within the UK, the sale and supply of medicines within an environment of e-commerce and online pharmacy. [Edinburgh and Lothians]

The Society's inspectorate has procedures in place for monitoring of pharmacies with web presence but the Society would welcome being informed of concerns and comments members may have.

The requirements of the Medicines Act 1968 also apply to the supply of medicines from online pharmacies. The premises from which the medicines are sold must be registered and are also inspected by the Society's inspectors. Standards for the provision of these services have now been approved by the Council and form part of the revised Code of Ethics (Standard 9).

Code of Ethics That the Council should provide, in the 'Medicines, ethics and practice' guide, a simplified and clearer Code of Ethics (preferably on one page), which should be supported by professional guidelines that are easy to understand, are an aid to good practice and have a comprehensive index. [Hull]

The Council agrees that the Code of Ethics must be accessible and transparent for members and the public. To this end, the revised Code of Ethics has been laid out in a new form, which, it is hoped, will make it easier for members of the profession to follow. Part 1 sets out on one page the fundamentals of professional conduct while Parts 2 and 3 apply the key requirements to different practice areas.

The 'Medicines, ethics and practice' guide (July 2001 edition) has been redesigned with a clearer index to facilitate easy reference.

Society's accounts That members require a more transparent set of accounts and accountability to monitor income and expenditure with an enhanced and more public role for the honorary auditors, which should be provided to members not less than 20 days before the annual general meeting. [Hull]

The Council agrees that there must be financial transparency and accountability with the Society's accounts and has taken a number of measures over the past few years to improve the situation.

The current financial statements provide in summary format the income and expenditure of the Society. In addition, the financial statements provide a summary review of the main areas of Society activity for the year. This is further supplemented by a commentary in the Society's annual report. The format of the financial statements has been developed over a number of years to provide consistent and comparable data. It complies with the major disclosure requirements of company reporting and is considered best practice for the Society to adopt.

The Resource Management Committee receives the proposed financial budget for future periods and departmental and directorate analysis of financial performance to date. The committee monitors expenditure, is able to ask questions on any issues arising and make recommendations to the Council in terms of budgetary control and compliance with financial policy.

The Audit Committee, established during 2000, is charged with the establishment of a sound internal audit function, monitoring both financial and non-financial internal controls. The internal auditors are currently undertaking a programme reviewing internal controls and the appropriateness of expenditure. This is regularly reported through the Audit Committee.

The Remuneration Committee considers the general framework for staff reward and agrees the salaries of the directors and the Secretary and Registrar.

The Council is sympathetic to the members' wish to understand the sources of Society income and expenditure and is satisfied that key controls are in place to ensure that the members' interests are met. To provide additional detail in the public financial statements would compromise the Society's commercial activities and would involve additional cost to the Society.

As part of the budgetary control proposed for 2002, the Society will continue to publish the financial statements on the Society's website in time to allow their proper review before the annual general meeting. The actual date of publication depends on the internal timetable for committee approval. In addition, full copies are available upon request from the Resources Directorate and advertised in The Pharmaceutical Journal. Arrangements can be made to distribute packs of the financial statements to individual branches, where their members have indicated a willingness to receive hard copies.

The honorary auditors currently approve the financial accounts before the annual general meeting. At the honorary auditors' meeting, they are able to raise any issues or concerns with the Society's external auditors, Treasurer, President, Secretary and Registrar, Deputy Secretary and Director of Resources.

Statutory work breaks That, in view of the Working Time Directive 1997, pharmacists should be required to take statutory breaks, away from the work place, especially when working over extended hours. [Brighton].

The Code of Ethics adopted in May 2001 requires owners of pharmacy businesses not to seek to impose conditions on pharmacists which may adversely affect their ability to comply with their professional and legal duties. Also, the code requires pharmacists only to accept work where they are fit for the task to be performed. Employers and employees will have regard to the intention of the Working Time Directive 1997 when agreeing breaks to be taken during the working day.

CD registers That there should be provision in Controlled Drugs registers in community pharmacies for a running balance to be kept. [Brighton]

The Society has already made, and will continue to make, representations to the Home Office for such a provision. The Society has been invited to submit evidence to the House of Commons Home Affairs Committee about drug misuse and intends to raise this matter in its submission.

Medicines pack design That the Council approach the Medicines Control Agency, the Association of the British Pharmaceutical Industry and the British Generic Manufacturers Association with a view to offering such advice or suggestions from practising pharmacists as it can to improve medicine pack design for both safety and usability by dispensers and consumers. [East Metropolitan]

In response to the on-going consideration of potential safety concerns arising from the design of medicine packaging, the Council recognises the importance of safety and has in recent months set up a packaging group under the steerage of the Director of Professional Standards.

This group has a wide membership which includes representation from the ABPI, the BGMA, the Royal College of General Practitioners patient liaison group and the Society's Industrial Pharmacists Group, along with representatives from the National Pharmaceutical Association and the hospital pharmacy sector. The primary purpose of the group has been to consider all aspects of packaging of medicines and the extent to which poor packaging might contribute to errors in dispensing and self-administration.

Early in 2001 it was announced that the Medicines Control Agency, via the Committee on the Safety of Medicines, was to convene a working party under the chairmanship of Dr Bob Calvert to look at packaging issues and to report back to the MCA with recommendations.

The Society has approached the chairman of this group in order to input into these discussions. A seminar will be held shortly at which representatives of the Society's working group will meet with colleagues from the Committee on Safety of Medicines working party to discuss the pertinent issues and to provide a pharmacy perspective.

Society's structure That as the present structure of the Society no longer serves the best interests of its members, it should be changed in order that it reflects the current political reality of Great Britain. [Moray and Banff]

This subject is being considered as part of the project on regulation and governance, including devolution. This will be a major work programme and will bring forward proposals for modernisation of the regulatory function and capitalise on the Society's dual role of professional regulation and professional leadership. It will address reforms needed in the Council in support of the preferred model of regulation and to discharge its other responsibilities. It will cover the modernisation of regulation and the associated reforms of Council, which will include the impact of devolution both on regulation and on the Society's other functions.

IT developments That the Council of the Society should raise the priority of information technology developments to encourage all members of the Society to be able to access local information through the website within a planned short timescale. [Leeds]

It is true that members of the Society will need to be involved in all technological developments in health, in order to participate as full member of the health care team. The Society continues, within the constraints of staff time and financial resources, to develop its internet resources to the benefit of both members and others. Recent developments have included the publishing of reports and consultation documents in downloadable form. Links have been provided to other resources where this provides a more efficient method of access.

The Society is in the final stages of trialling the technology required to allow members access to more of the Society's central resources, such as the register. It is important, however, that our appetite for information does not rush us into a solution that might compromise the security of our valuable intellectual property.

Members will see increasing professional information provided via the Society's four main information sites: www.rpsgb.org.uk, www.pharmj.com, www.concordance.org.uk and www.pdgtalk.net. Projects are under way to enhance and improve the availability and usability of these sites.

Council election That the lack of action by the Council on the removal of the single transferable vote in the election of Council members is to be deplored. [Slough]

A preliminary discussion about the election system of Council members took place at the October meeting of the Council, when it was agreed that any changes should be deferred pending the outcome of a review of the Council planned under the modernisation programme (PJ, 13 October, p530).

Complementary medicine That the undergraduate degree course should contain a standardised, minimum level of training and education on complementary medicine. [British Pharmaceutical Students Association]

The Council agrees that the subject of complementary medicine is rightly the concern of pharmacy students, and that patients will increasingly seek information from pharmacists about a range of therapies. The matter of the inclusion of complementary therapies in the pharmacy indicative undergraduate syllabus is being addressed by the Society's current degree accreditation working group. This will take account of the successful branch representatives' meeting motion and other relevant views and comments forthcoming within its present consultation on proposed revised degree accreditation criteria, including a new indicative syllabus. The draft consultation document "Accreditation of UK pharmacy degree courses" can be found at www.rpsgb.org.uk/education. Comments may be forwarded to Robert Dewdney at rdewdney@rpsgb.org.uk by 30 November 2001.