The Pharmaceutical Journal
Vol 269 No 7205 p35
6 July 2002

Society summary

President addresses misconceptions about Society's modernisation process

Some misunderstandings and concerns about the Royal Pharmaceutical Society's modernisation process were addressed by the Society's President, Marshall Davies, when he and other members of the modernisation team spoke at a press briefing on 28 June.

One misconception addressed by the President concerned the interpretation of the word "regulation", which in the context of modernising the health professions is used in a much broader sense than the traditional one of dealing with matters of discipline and poor performance. In fact, modern professional regulation comprises all the systems that combine to assure competence and fitness to practise, including education and training, setting professional and educational standards, ensuring that such standards are met, promoting good practice, continuing professional development, assessing elements of professional competence, and providing support for improvement.

The Society has an advantage over other health care regulators in that it is already involved in all those activities. In fact, its range of activities will not change as it embraces modern regulation. Other regulatory bodies will copy the Society as they expand their activities to adopt a broader concept of regulation. "Unlike other regulators," said the President, "we have an opportunity to capitalise on our integrated regulatory and professional roles to create a world-class organisation."

Another worry expressed by members is a feeling that the profession is being rushed into a hasty decision. The President agreed that, in an ideal world, the consultation process would take much longer, particularly as the Society is a remarkably complex organisation for its size. In reality, however, the profession has no choice but to comply with the Government's timetable because it cannot afford to lag behind the other professions if it to have a place at the table when the new Council for the Regulation of Health Care Professionals is established early in 2003.

Addressing fears that the modernisation programme is concentrating on the Society's regulatory role to the exclusion of its professional functions, the President explained that this, too, is a consequence of having to meet external timetables. These timetables are forcing the Society to focus mainly on the regulatory functions at this stage, he said, but the professional issues would not be neglected.

On concerns about significantly increasing the proportion of lay members on the Council, the President said that the Government's requirement for a greater involvement of lay people could help the Society to make more robust policy and to ensure that is does not lose sight of what is important to patients, clients and customers. Lay members would not only help the Society to keep an objective view of the profession but they could also be effective champions for pharmacy's policies, strengthening the profession's voice and giving the Society credibility with the public and other professions.

On communicating the modernisation programme to pharmacists and other stakeholders, the President said that such communication had accounted for much of the work so far. There was a need to build a common understanding of the starting point, to explain the reasons for change and to describe the wider context within which the Society operates. The modernisation team had sought to do this through articles in the pharmacy press, through meetings with pharmacists in the branches and regions, through direct mailings to stakeholder organisations and by inviting pharmacists and other stakeholders to meetings to discuss the modernisation programme.

It was reassuring that when he or other members of the modernisation team spoke at meetings of the Society's branches their presentations were generally well received. Members were positive, and supported the principles involved.