The Pharmaceutical Journal
Vol 270 No 7244 p525
12 April 2003

Society summary

SGM requested to discuss modernisation and Charter

A special general meeting of the Royal Pharmaceutical Society has been requested to debate planned changes to the organisation of the Society. The meeting would also consider motions calling for lay membership of the Society's Council to remain at its current ratio and for a referendum of members on any proposed new Charter.

More than 40 members signed the request. They include former Council members and past Presidents and candidates in this year's Council election. They say that the purpose of the SGM would be to debate proposals for a new Charter.

In particular, they wish to raise four specific issues. The first is the Society's proposal to change the composition of the Council from 21 pharmacists and three lay members to 17 pharmacists, 10 lay members and possibly two pharmacy technicians.

The SGM would be asked to vote on the following motion: "This meeting rejects any increase in the proportion of non-pharmacist members of the Council of the Royal Pharmaceutical Society as such an increase would undermine the Council's ability to maintain the honour and safeguard and promote the interests of the members in the exercise of the profession of pharmacy".

The other subjects for discussion are the future remit of the Society, its proposals to seek charitable status and the impact of this on the membership, and whether it is right for the Society's assets and funds to underpin a body constituted to perform regulatory functions under the Health Act 1999.

A second motion for debate reads: "This meeting instructs the Council to arrange for a referendum of the entire membership to be held to establish the level of support for any proposed new Charter once the details of any such proposal(s) have been finalised." The meeting might also consider other motions related to the issues proposed on the day.

The signatories want the SGM to be held on a Sunday afternoon in central London or central Birmingham.

The request for the SGM was delivered to the Society on 8 April by Mark Koziol, one of the signatories and a former member of Council. Mr Koziol told The Journal: "We do not trust the Council's consultation process, so we have decided to start our own, beginning at an SGM."

He said that a consultation process without presumptions was needed. "We do not want it to be based on predetermined parameters nor do we want to hear that it is too late and that it has already been decided — that is not an acceptable consultation."

The Society confirmed that it had received a request for a special general meeting and said that Council members were being informed.