2006 to be year of consultation, President tells AGM
Chris Elmes/IT/RPSGB
The President: members’ views needed |
For pharmacy, 2006 will be the year of consultation, according to the President of the Royal Pharmaceutical Society, Hemant Patel. In his address at the Society's 165th annual
general meeting, held in London on 24 May, the President urged all members to take part in a range of consultations, giving their views to help shape the future direction of the profession.
The consultations began with the draft Pharmacists and Pharmacy technicians
Order made under Section 60 of the Pharmacy Act 1999. The President urged
all pharmacists to have their say on the draft Order before the Government’s
consultation closed on 19 June. The Council had already made public its
reservations about the scope of the Order and it would be agreeing its
formal response shortly. “Together with our new Charter, this new
legislation should ensure that our organisation is truly fit for purpose
now and into the future,” the President said.
The President continued: “I said that 2006 will be the year of
consultation. We need our members’ views on some key areas of our
work and shall be engaging in some major consultation with you.
“We have drafted the first set of Rules relating to fitness to
practise and registration to allow us to implement the Section 60 Order
and we
shall be putting them to members in July. This will allow us to implement
the new regulatory framework for the profession.”
Education
On education, the President said: “The Society has the responsibility
of ensuring that the education and training that pharmacists receive
delivers not only the knowledge but also the skills, attitudes and values
that make for high quality and safe practice.
“We have a major new policy development programme under way to meet the
challenges of educating and training the pharmacists of tomorrow. We
have called this ‘Fit for the future’ because it will provide
the foundations to underpin the development of the profession in future.
“We need to get the input of members about what pharmacists and indeed
technicians need to know; what skills they need and how they need to
behave in order to practise safely. I am delighted to announce the first
step in this major consultation, which focuses on the principles that
should guide pharmacy education. This is crucial work: my colleagues
on the Council and I look forward to hearing from you throughout this
programme.” Ethics
Turning to the Code of Ethics, the President said: “The profession
needs a new Code of Ethics that reflects modern pharmacy practice. The
profession has already responded to an initial consultation to help to
shape a review of the Code of Ethics for Pharmacists and Pharmacy Technicians.
There will be further consultations in 2006 to seek views on the structure
and content of the revised codes. Your involvement will be vital, so
please feed back your comments.”
On public and patient involvement in the Society, the President said: “Pharmacy
is patient-focused and the Council is drawing up a strategy to involve
patients and the public more closely in our work. This will be another
important consultation over the summer and we very much want our members’ input
into this important piece of work. Please have your say on this important
consultation.” “Pharmacy 2020”
On the “Pharmacy 2020” project, the President said: “And,
finally, colleagues, we shall embark on our next major piece of work
to identify the future direction of pharmacy in the year 2020. We want
this to be as successful a project as its predecessor, ‘Pharmacy
in a New Age’. That project shaped a highly aspirational vision
for the development of the pharmacist’s role. In just over 10 years
that vision has been delivered. The secret of the project’s success
was actually very simple: it was because so many of our members got involved
and had their say. The PIANA vision was truly representative of the profession
and that is what we need for ‘Pharmacy 2020’.
“I am delighted and proud that the Council has asked me in a personal
capacity to lead this work. I am looking forward to sharing our plans
with you and getting the show on the road — literally! I urge you
to get involved and help us chart the next exciting stage of our profession’s
journey.”
The President began his address by expanding on some of the main topics
in the Society’s “Annual review 2005” document [which
was sent to all members before the AGM].
He said that 2005 had proved another highly significant year for pharmacy
and for the Society. The external climate for pharmacists had been highly
dynamic, with changes in the working environment, a new NHS framework,
growth in the numbers of schools of pharmacy, many more political and
public expectations of the profession and profound changes in the Society’s
constitution and leadership. Integrated role
The year had seen some important developments in the way the Society
helped lead and develop pharmacy practice, the President said. He emphasised
that the Council remained fully committed to the Society’s integrated
roles in professional development and leadership: “We are highly
focused on fulfilling these roles in ways that get results and I think
that the track record is good. But, as well as helping pave the way
with Government for new roles and responsibilities, we know that we
have to help pharmacists grasp their new professional opportunities
and make the new future a reality for members in all sectors. I have
already started to invite the sector committees to make direct presentations
to the Council and their views are already shaping our work and policies.”
Concluding his report on the year, the President commended the annual
review to the meeting.
Andrew Burr (Sutton Coldfield) congratulated the President on a very
good annual report, which highlighted issues faced by the profession.
Mr Burr then began to talk about the recent investigation into governance
issues associated with North East London Local Pharmaceutical Committee.
Mr Burr was interrupted by a number of members who objected to him raising
an issue that had nothing to do with the Society’s annual review
for 2005.
The President then asked the members present whether they wished to hear
Mr Burr’s question. After cries of “No”, the President
asked for a show of hands on whether the meeting wished to hear the full
question. A majority of members indicated that they did not wish to hear
it, and Mr Burr was asked to sit down.
The President’s address was followed by a presentation on the financial
statements for 2005, which will be reported next week.
Closing the meeting, the President said that it was a huge honour to
serve one’s profession at the highest level. “I have enjoyed
working as President for the year,” he said. “Furthermore,
it is my intention to seek to represent you at the highest level again
next year.” |
The
Pharmaceutical Journal