The Pharmaceutical Journal
Vol 274 No 7350 p613
21 May 2005

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· MRSA
· CPD (2)
· NAWP
· Pharmacy graduates
· The Society (2)
· Council election (2)
· History of pharmacy

Letters to the Editor

Council election

Let us return to preferential voting

From Mr R. Medlow, MRPharmS

When the Royal Pharmaceutical Society’s Council decided in October 2002 to revert to X-voting for Council elections, after 30 years of preferential voting, it should have foreseen the consequences with which we are now faced.

The Council ignored the advice it had received regarding the method of election. Even with 14 to elect to unreserved places, we now have, in contrast to earlier years, a Council, not only with women grossly under-represented, but also without a hospital pharmacist (other than by chance the member for the reserved place for Wales). Incidentally, why do we need reserved seats for the nations within Britain rather than for the specialties within the profession? Preferential voting could provide for all of this and, furthermore, be a hedge against landslides for factional groups.

The Society is now practically alone among other professional bodies not to use preferential voting, which has the virtue of delivering a cross section of representation. What do the Privy Council representatives make of us?

To save our credibility as a professional Society, we must remedy the present situation by returning to preferential voting for our next Council election.

Ron Medlow
Guildford, Surrey

Late receipt of ballot paper not a “one off”

From Mr B. McCormick

Contrary to the statement by Alex Lonie, of Electoral Reform Services (PJ, 23 April, p487), the late receipt of the ballot paper by Andrew Benjamin, of New South Wales, Australia, was not a “one off”. A Queensland colleague and I both received our ballot papers on 20 April.

This appears to be another example of the limited consideration given to overseas members, including the fee structure and inadequate arrangements for continuing professional development.

I have now resigned from the Society.

Barrie McCormick
Banksia Beach
Queensland, Australia

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