The Pharmaceutical Journal
Vol 278 No 7446 p387
7 April 2007

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Separating professional regulation and representation General Pharmaceutical Council and a Royal College model for the Society

Technicians will seek membership of future leadership body

Pharmacy technicians will seek membership of any future professional leadership body that emerges following the Government's decision to split the functions of the Royal Pharmaceutical Society. And, as The Journal went to press, the King's Fund released a report indicating support for a royal college for the pharmacy profession.

In a letter to The Journal this week (p396), Steve Acres, vice-president of the Association of Pharmacy Technicians UK, says that one of APTUK’s key objectives will be to seek membership for pharmacy technicians of a future royal college. He reveals that APTUK is currently reviewing its professional leadership role in light of the Government’s White Paper on professional regulation.

“The future detailed structure and function of APTUK is far from clear since it depends on the outcome of the many discussions, debates and decisions yet to be had,” he writes.

The King’s Fund report, based on a seminar it hosted last month, says that there is overwhelming support for a new professional leadership body to replace the present, somewhat fragmented structure.

Niall Dickson, chief executive of the King’s Fund, said: “There was concern that any new royal college must reflect the many diverse interests within the profession, should not be dominated by any one section and that membership should be as wide as possible, for example, including pharmaceutical scientists.”