BRM motions address patient safety issues
Half the 12 motions submitted for debate at the Royal Pharmaceutical Society's 2004 branch representatives' meeting reflect concerns about improving patient safety.
One motion calls for complete dosage instructions on all prescriptions
for oral medicines. Another proposes that all prescriptions should bear
the patient’s age so that the pharmacist can check the suitability
of the dose and provide advice tailored to the individual patient.
Two motions are concerned with ensuring that pharmacists are competent
to provide a proper service to the patient. One seeks adequate rest breaks
for all pharmacy staff working long shifts and the other wants European
pharmacists to undergo assessments of competence in English, in law and
in ethics before they can work in Britain.
Another motion supports proposals for helping the public to distinguish
more clearly between authorised medicinal products, which have been assessed
for safety, quality and efficacy, and pseudo-medicinal products promoted
to give the impression that they will help restore or improve health.
One motion related to patient safety has been overtaken by events. It
calls for a formal national reporting system for pharmacy-related medication
errors, but since it was proposed the National Patient Safety Agency
has launched its National Reporting and Learning Scheme designed to monitor
and share the learning from all errors reported in the NHS.
A further motion, reflecting concern about pharmacies in which the pharmacist
in charge varies from day to day, proposes that for every community pharmacy
there should be one local nominated pharmacist contact to develop effective
working relationships with other health professionals and the local community.
Among motions concerned with the Society itself is one seeking reinstatement
of funding for special interest group magazines and one calling for a
special reduced retention fee for non-working members below retirement
age. Others want the Society to set up an electronic register of members’ e-mail
addresses for branch mailing purposes, to change its Data Protection
Act registration so that other organisations can access membership lists
for educational and joint working purposes, and to seek the opinion of
the British Pharmaceutical Students’ Association on all student
issues within the profession.
The 12 motions this year come from only eight of the Society’s
branches plus the British Pharmaceutical Students Association. In 2003
there were 11 motions from eight branches and the BPSA. In 2002
there were 17 motions from 12 branches.
This year’s branch representatives’ meeting takes place at
the Society’s London headquarters on Thursday 13 May. The 12 motions
will be debated during the morning session, and all motions carried by
the meeting will be referred to the Council for its consideration.
The afternoon session will begin with an update on the introduction of
continuing professional development to the profession, given by Peter
Wilson, consultant to the Society on CPD communications. There will also
be presentations by the President, Gill Hawksworth, the Secretary and
Registrar, Ann Lewis, and the Director of Practice and Quality Improvement,
David Pruce, who will discuss the Society’s plans for developing
local leaders. The programme will finish with an optional tour of the
headquarters building and the President’s flat, for which advance
booking is essential.
The BRM motions have been sent to branch secretaries and will be published
next week in The Pharmaceutical Journal. Each motion will be followed
by an explanatory paragraph from the branches concerned and background
information from the Society’s Council.
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