Branches offered e-mail option for communications with members
The Royal Pharmaceutical Society has modernised the way its branch network is able to communicate with members with the introduction of a centralised e-mail database that can be used by branch secretaries to distribute relevant branch information.
The process has already been piloted by seven branch secretaries, who
found it easy to use, and, to date, the Society has collected over 22,000
members’ e-mail addresses.
The new development comes in response to a request from branch secretaries
who wanted a quicker and easier way to communicate with members. By voluntarily
opting into the service through a web page created by the Society, members
send their e-mail address to a central database.
Each time a branch secretary wishes to undertake a mailing, he or she
simply requests the latest e-mail and label database from the membership
team and is then able to distribute information, such as details of forthcoming
branch meetings, special events or branch newsletters, both electronically
and in paper format, depending on the member’s preference.
John Gentle, Council member, branch sponsor and secretary of the Shropshire
branch, said: “This new development is all about making the process
of communication between branches and members as easy and as efficient
as possible. We are keen to save paper and administrative time and deliver
information in the ways most preferred by members. In most cases this
is now e-mail. However, we are also aware that some members do not have
e-mail addresses or may be unwilling to provide their e-mail addresses
for this purpose. To this end we are emphasising that branch secretaries
will continue to communicate important information in the traditional
way via the post using address labels — at the same time as they
send their e-mails.”
Branch members can still register their e-mail addresses for this service
via the Royal Pharmaceutical Society’s website |
The
Pharmaceutical Journal