The Pharmaceutical Journal
Vol 270 No 7251 p772
31 May 2003

Society summary

Welsh Executive position statement on new Charter

The Royal Pharmaceutical Society's Welsh Executive has issued a position statement on the Society's Charter. The statement, drawn up by executive chairman Andrea Robinson, is set out here.

A new Royal Charter: the best guarantee of future independence

What is the Royal Pharmaceutical Society of Great Britain for? This is the key question behind the debate on a new Royal Charter. But first we might ask: what is the role of the professional? For this is central to understanding the debate.

The prevailing view of the professions today seems to be that professionals do have valuable knowledge and skills, but they need to help each other: to maintain and improve standards, to avoid conflicts of interest, and to ensure that the few bad apples are dealt with.

The concept of the "modern regulator" has thus emerged to reflect this view. Society now allows the professions a substantial measure of self-government, albeit with minority lay involvement. In return, the modern regulator will undertake the following:

The functions of the "modern regulator"

Preparing for practice

1. Control of entry

2. Education

3. Registration

4. Training

Maintaining and raising standards of practice

5. Setting and enforcing professional and educational standards

6. Promoting good practice

7. Continuing professional development

8. Assessing professional competence

9. Revalidation

Dealing with poor performance

10. Providing support for improvement

11. Dealing with poor performance and misconduct

12. Removal from the register

Source: derived from Bristol Royal Infirmary report and the Government's response

This view of the regulator is different from that still held by many pharmacists. The "policeman" role is still there; but there is much more. Items 6 and 10, for example — "promoting good practice" and "providing support for improvement" — are two permissive functions. They would allow the Society to do anything it legitimately wants to "represent" pharmacy, and to support individual pharmacists in difficulty. In many respects, the term "regulator" is now unhelpful.

This is the context in which the draft new Charter should be considered. It needs to strike a balance between ensuring that the Society can fulfil the functions of the "modern regulator", while preserving the Society's unique contribution — that of protecting the profession where necessary from the misguided actions of here-today-gone-tomorrow politicians.

The Society has never been a representative body for individual pharmacists — other organisations exist for this purpose. The job of the Society is to bring objectivity and expertise to the future development of the profession. That future will always ultimately depend upon it being regarded as acting in the public interest.