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Concordance
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Letters to the Editor
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The Charter
Undemocratic haste is best avoided
From Mr M. A. Walker, MRPharmS
The latest draft (PDF 100K) Supplemental Charter (PJ, 18 October) is a significant
improvement over the last one and the Royal Pharmaceutical Society’s
Council is to be congratulated for listening to much of what the members
said.
This draft introduces devolution, giving the Council the responsibility
to establish appropriate structures for Scotland and Wales. The Council
also would have the power to establish or dissolve the structure through
which it works, doing this without reference to members or the Privy
Council. These are undoubtedly major constitutional powers, potentially
impacting on all of the profession of pharmacy — not just the Society.
For example, the Council would have the power to dissolve the regions
and branches, then set up “colleges” by a simple Council
vote.
Despite the magnitude of the change proposed, the Modernisation Steering
Group (MSG) says “the petition needs to be finalised by December”.
This gives members less than three weeks to send in any feedback. It
will be impossible for regions, branches and professional groups to consult
their members and give a considered response in this timeframe. It is
clearly undemocratic haste on the part of the MSG to demand responses
by 14 November.
We are told that the MSG’s timetable is needed in order to align
with the Section 60 Order timetable. After the Secretary of State for
Health publishes the draft Section 60 Order he will allow feedback for
a fixed period before the Order is made. In contrast, the MSG document
implies that the Council must make necessary changes, agree the final
draft Supplemental Charter in December. After this there is no process
for feedback from the profession of pharmacy before the document is submitted
to the Privy Council.
The Council must reverse this timetable recommended by the MSG. It must
focus on making our 21st century Supplemental Charter an excellent, member-supported
document which could last for the next 50 years, a feat achieved by its
predecessor.
At this important juncture for the profession of pharmacy undemocratic
haste is best avoided.
Mark Walker
Oxford
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* PDF files on PJ Online require Acrobat
Reader 4 or later.