The Pharmaceutical Journal
Vol 278 No 7454 p653
2 June 2007

Society summary

BRM reports

Society’s assets should be preserved for the benefit of its members

The branch representatives’ meeting endorsed unanimously a motion that the Society’s assets “should be preserved for the benefit of professional members in the event that a complete split of the professional and regulatory functions be required”.

Proposing the motion, Gordon Dykes (Glasgow and West of Scotland) said that the branch did not want to see a “smash and grab” on the Society’s assets by the Government. Lord Hunt’s statement that the new “body akin to a royal college” would not be the Society opened up the potential for the Government to dissolve the Society and revoke its Charter. The Society had been badly treated by governments over the past years and was due some recompense of expenditure caused by the constant shifting of policies. The profession needed to determine what it wanted to lead it and not be dictated to by ministers.

The branch wanted an assurance, said Dr Dykes, that the Society’s funds could not be taken by the Government without members agreeing, and the cost of setting up of the new regulatory council should be fully funded by the Government.

James Johnson (Glasgow and West of Scotland) said that if the Society was not careful the momentum of the changes could be controlled by the Government and in any ensuing chaos and uncertainty, it could perhaps find its funds being used to establish the new regulator and diminish the muscle of the profession. “In short,” he said, “we need to keep our hands on the assets.”