The Pharmaceutical Journal
Vol 268 No 7189 p360-364
16 March 2002

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Letters to the Editor

PSNC elections

Three issues for debate

From Mr N. Baumber, FRPharmS

As the retiring regional representative, I must congratulate Peter Cattee on his winning of the Pharmaceutical Services Negotiating Committee election in the Trent region. We have seen in his recent articles and the formation of the AIMp that he has many talents and attributes, which I hope he will use for the greater good of community pharmacy.

My letter on "The aim of AIMp" (PJ, 16 February, p209) was not as negative about the new organisation as he suggests (PJ, 2 March, p285). I invited readers to consider for themselves the issue as to whether a small number of pharmacy owners needed special recognition on the reconstituted PSNC.

Incidentally, I would never question his fundamental right to stand for election to the PSNC on whichever platform he cares to stand. I welcome a healthy democracy that thrives on well-contested elections and gives the opportunity to voters to think hard about the policies, achievements and intentions of the candidates. This has only happened in three out of 15 regions on this occasion, which raises the first issue of whether we would see a better debate on contract politics and the people behind them through national elections to the PSNC. Combining all the votes of the two independent candidates (147), would not have changed the result in Trent region. Peter (191) won by 44 votes.

The second issue, which should interest single pharmacy owners everywhere, is whether this reflects the current ownership split (excluding Company Chemists Association and Co-op pharmacies). The organised votes of a few members of AIMp for one candidate in any region could well outweigh all the other independent votes; in which case, the balance of political and financial interests ranged against the thousands of single pharmacy owners is formidable. If regional elections remain as the only way for independents to be elected to the PSNC, then the AIMp should have special recognition and its members should opt out of contractor elections.

The third issue that contractors (and not the PSNC) need to resolve is whether single pharmacy owners ought to meet under a new political banner now that the National Pharmaceutical Association has broadened its membership and wields historical precedent rather than a political mandate.

Noel Baumber
Grantham, Lincolnshire

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