The Pharmaceutical Journal
Vol 276 No 7395 p425
8 April 2006

Society summary

Scottish Executive looks at technician involvement in national board

The Scottish Executive of the Royal Pharmaceutical Society is to look into ways of ensuring that registered pharmacy technicians will be involved effectively in the working of the new national pharmacy board for Scotland.

The executive’s decision, made at a meeting on 22 March, follows the Council’s acceptance of the executive recommendation that the board’s membership should not include a technician member (PJ, 25 February, p243). The situation in Scotland (and England) will differ from that in Wales, where the membership of the new national board will include a pharmacy technician with full voting rights.

The executive agreed to prepare recommendations on both technician and lay involvement for submission to the Society’s Council.

New legislation The director of the Scottish Department, Lyndon Braddick, gave the executive an update on the drafting of Regulations under the Smoking, Health and Social Care (Scotland) Act 2005. He said that the Scottish Department was working closely with the Scottish Executive Health Department on drafting the Regulations under Part 3 of the Bill, which is specifically concerned with pharmaceutical care services.

Section 60 Order The executive agreed to hold an extraordinary meeting to consider its response to the draft Pharmacists and Pharmacy Technicians Order under Section 60 of the Health Act 1999 (PJ, 1 April, p371).

Scottish conference 2008 Following consideration of a report from its Scottish Pharmacy Conference working group, the executive confirmed that a steering group would take forward plans for a conference to be held in spring 2008.

New officers Following her election as chairman of the executive (PJ, 1 April, p402), Rose Marie Parr said that her main objectives in the coming months would be to continue promoting the professional and leadership role of pharmacy in Scotland, to celebrate the successful conclusion of the executive in its present format and to assist in the delivery of the new national board for pharmacy in Scotland.

Dr Parr also thanked her predecessor as chairman, Angela Timoney, for all her achievements during the past two years. The newly appointed vice-chairman, Dot Anderson, added: “I look forward to working closely with Rose Marie in tackling the challenging times ahead and delivering for our members in Scotland.”