Striking off planned for not making a fitness-to-practise declaration
Members and registrants who fail to make an annual fitness-to-practise declaration will have their names removed from the registers as if they had not paid their retention fee, the Council of the Royal Pharmaceutical Society has decided.
At the October
Council meeting, the Council agreed that from 2007 those
who renew their registration without making the declaration will be sent
a letter advising them that a note will be made on their files, that
until the declaration is received they will not be eligible for a letter
of good standing or a certificate of current professional statement and
that failure to provide the declaration within two months will lead to
an automatic striking-off.
The Council also agreed that a note would be made on the files of the
350 or so persons who, despite receiving a reminder, have still not made
a declaration for 2006. They would be sent further letters advising them
of the annotation and stating that it may be taken into account should
they find themselves
subject to a fitness-to-practise complaint or investigation.
The Council made its decision after considering a paper recommending
the introduction of sanctions for those who fail to make the declaration.
The paper said that the purpose of the declaration was to ensure the
continued good standing of members and registrants. Its introduction
in 2005 had brought the Society into line with the other health and social
care regulators and the expectations of the Council for Healthcare Regulatory
Excellence.
The paper said that the declaration signed by practising members and
registrants confirms their commitment to the Code of Ethics, to work
under the standards and guidance published by the Society and to undertake
continuing professional development. It also confirms that they have
not been and are not the subject of any regulatory, civil or criminal
proceedings or investigations relevant to their fitness to practise.
Non-practising members and registrants sign a declaration to confirm
they will not practise.
The Council heard that several thousand people had failed to sign a declaration
in 2005. Most were direct debit payers who may not have realised that
they needed to send in a declaration. No action had been taken in respect
of them. In 2006, fewer than 2,000 members had failed to make a declaration.
They had been written to and most had responded positively to the request
for a declaration.
The Council noted that the completion of a fitness-to-practise declaration
is currently required under the terms of the Society’s Charter.
In future, the requirement will be set out in rules made under the Pharmacists
and Pharmacy Technicians Order 2006 and the consequential Royal Pharmaceutical
Society of Great Britain (Registration Rules) Order of Council 2006,
both of which were published for consultation earlier in 2006.
The Council also noted that there would be a significant risk to the
Society’s reputation as a regulator if it asked for the completion
of a declaration and then did not pursue
those who failed to make one. This would especially be the case if any
of those members were subsequently found to have caused harm that could
have been predicted through disclosure of matters relevant to fitness
to practise.
|
The
Pharmaceutical Journal