The Pharmaceutical Journal
Vol 271 No 7259 p110
26 July 2003

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Pharmaceutical Services Negotiating Committee (www.psnc.org.uk)

PSNC appoints head of regulation

Steve Lutener, the Royal Pharmaceutical Society's head of professional conduct, has been appointed head of regulation at the Pharmaceutical Services Negotiating Committee.

Mr Lutener is expected to assume his post at the PSNC in October following the retirement of Dr Gordon Geddes early in September. His chief responsibilities will be the legal provisions affecting community pharmacy contractors, including the terms of service and regulations governing new contracts, repeat dispensing and pharmacist prescribing.

PSNC chief executive Sue Sharpe commented: "Steve has expertise in this field from his work at the Society and will play an important role in ensuring that we are able to influence future regulations and provide information and advice to local pharmaceutical committees and contractors."

Mr Lutener has held various posts in the Society's law department and professional standards directorate since 1987. His departure means that the three senior members of the Society's professional standards directorate will all have left in the space of two years. The first to go was Sue Sharpe, who moved to the PSNC as chief executive in August 2001. Next was head of ethics Helen Darracott, who became the Proprietary Association of Great Britain's director of legal and regulatory affairs earlier this year. No replacements have been appointed.

The Society's regulatory structures are being substantially revised with the former professional standards directorate losing its registration function to the education division and the professional regulation function being divided into two new directorates — fitness to practise and legal affairs, and practice and quality improvement.

The Society advertised for a director of fitness to practise and legal affairs and a director of practice and quality improvement in June and the appointment process is ongoing.