The Pharmaceutical Journal
Vol 274 No 7346 p479
23 April 2005

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Guild concerned about lack of hospital representation

Concern about the composition of the new Council of the Royal Pharmaceutical Society has been expressed by hospital pharmacists at the first joint conference of the Guild of Healthcare Pharmacists and the United Kingdom Clinical Pharmacy Association, held in Glasgow last weekend. There is disquiet that no pharmacist currently working in a clinical hospital setting has been elected.

Addressing delegates, Tony West, president of the guild, said he will be contacting the Society to discuss how the new Council will ensure that the views of hospital pharmacists are represented in its deliberations.

Mr West also urged delegates to respond to the proposals put forward by the Society’s devolution review group (the “Fraser review”). The consultation, to be issued shortly, is to decide which powers should remain with the Society’s Council and which should be devolved to the proposed national boards.

Also speaking at the conference, Angela Timoney, chairman of the Scottish Executive of the Royal Pharmaceutical Society, similarly encouraged pharmacists to respond to the Fraser consultation, pointing out that devolution is an important issue for all, and could provide a voice for pharmacists working in England, as well as those in Scotland and Wales.