Pharmacy bodies criticise modernisation proposals
Three leading pharmacy bodies have criticised the Royal Pharmaceutical
Society’s modernisation proposals, saying that they fail to see how
the proposed structure for the Council will achieve the appropriate balance
between regulatory and professional roles.
In a joint statement issued on 6 August, the National Pharmaceutical Association,
the Pharmaceutical Services Negotiating Committee and the Young Pharmacists
Group say that while welcoming the review of the Society’s remit
and functions in the wake of a rapidly changing regulatory environment,
they are “unanimous in their dissatisfaction and concern with the
proposed structure for the Society’s governing body”.
They call for the Society’s professional representational roles —
including benevolence, publications, information and advice, and the advancement
of pharmaceutical science — to be properly accommodated in a reformed
structure. They say that the professional roles should be distinguished
from and given equal prominence with the functions of a modern regulator.
“Moreover, the structure of the Society’s governing body must
be such to allow for independent consideration of Government policies
that may impact adversely upon the profession. The Society must be sufficiently
independent of Government to be able, if necessary, to oppose Government
policies affecting non-regulatory issues,” the statement says.
On the issue of the composition of the Society’s governing body,
the statement says that lay members must not become involved in determining
policy in respect of representation on professional issues. The three
bodies want to see the number of pharmacists on the governing body remain
similar to the number on the current Council (which has 21 pharmacists
and three Privy Council appointed lay members).
“A significantly smaller number [of pharmacists] within a similar
sized Council will not adequately represent the broad spectrum of interests
across the profession,” they say.
The Society must be accountable to its pharmacist members for promoting
the profession and for the development of professional roles and opportunities,
the statement continues. At the same time it must also be accountable
to pharmacists, Government and the public for the regulation of the profession.
The three bodies call for the Society to consult its members “fully
and openly” on proposals that ensure that professional and regulatory
functions are properly balanced.
The Royal Pharmaceutical Society said that no decision had yet been taken
on the future structure of Council. A more detailed response to the 6
August statement is to be issued next week.
This week’s issue of The Journal contains the results of the Society’s
first consultation on the future structure of Council, including individual
responses as well as those from organisations. The third consultation
paper, on who should serve on Council and for how long, is also published
this week.
Comment, p180. Consultations, pp197–9
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