The Pharmaceutical Journal
Vol 276 No 7400 p566
13 May 2006

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· Regulation
· Emergency contraception (3)
· Remote supervision
· Fitness to practise
· Medicines use reviews
· Council election (2)

Letters to the Editor

Council election

It is the perception of the electors that matters

From Mr M. E. James, FRPharmS

Brian Curwain wrote (PJ, 29 April, p504), in response to my letter (PJ, 22 April, p474), that he was not standing in the Royal Pharmaceutical Society’s Council election “just to bang the drum for primary care pharmacists but to use [his] knowledge and experience for the benefit of the whole profession”. Quite right! And that knowledge and experience is why I voted for him. However, it is not his perception that matters; it is that of the electors. As one who has worked in the same field I know that some community pharmacists view our experience as at best irrelevant and our activities at worst as detrimental to what they perceive to be their interests.

I look forward to the results with interest.

Miall E. James
Colchester, Essex

Election result, p573

STV is not the answer

From Mr R. C. Mills, MRPharmS

Miall James is concerned about the dearth of hospital pharmacists in the Royal Pharmaceutical Society’s Council election (PJ, 22 April, p474) and suggests that a change in the electoral system would correct this. Following the motion of the Slough branch at the 1999 branch representatives’ meeting, the Council produced a report on the professional background of Council members before and after the change to voting by single transferable vote. The report clearly showed that the use of the STV system caused no significant difference in the representation of the branches of pharmacy on the Council. I trust that the Council will remember this.

Although the STV system is undoubtedly a valid method for election of one member of an organisation, surely, in a democratic society, where there is an election for seven members, it is reasonable that any voter should have seven votes which count.

R. C. Mills
Ascot, Berkshire

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