The Pharmaceutical Journal
Vol 279 No 7469 p279
15 September 2007

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Separating professional regulation and representation General Pharmaceutical Council and a royal college-type body for the Society

Further details of independent inquiry into professional body outlined

Details of the Royal Pharmaceutical Society's independent inquiry into the options for a professional body for pharmacy were revealed during a discussion at the BPC.

As has already been announced (PJ, 18 August, p189), the work will be led by Nigel Clarke, who is currently lay chairman of the General Osteopathic Council, and the review will focus on the principles, functions and structures that will be needed for the professional body.

Introducing Mr Clarke, Hemant Patel, President of the Society, said that Mr Clarke is an experienced independent adviser, with extensive experience in public policy, having worked for the Confederation of British Industry and the House of Commons. He has recently conducted a review of the General Optical Council’s code of conduct for members, Mr Patel added.

Mr Clarke emphasised that the process of the inquiry will be transparent throughout its course. “It is extremely important, I believe, if this is going to command the support of the profession that people feel they are involved and have maximum opportunity to become involved,” he said.

“Without the comment of the profession, as broadly as possible, it simply will not get the support it needs from within the profession, so that underpins everything we are doing.”

He also stressed that the conclusions of the inquiry must be workable professionally and financially. “If it isn’t professionally viable, it won’t be financially viable, because the profession must believe that the body is worth joining,” he said.

Explaining the inquiry’s work pattern, Mr Clarke said that a consultation document will be drafted in the next two months, the inquiry’s website and e-mail addresses will be in operation from mid-September, and the report will be finalised in February 2008 and published in May 2008. From the end of October to mid-November the draft consultation document will be available on the inquiry website and distributed on request, he said.

He added that in November and December public meetings will be held across Britain, although the locations for these have not yet been decided. At the same time, key points of debate arising from these meetings will be posted on the inquiry website and key stakeholders will be invited to attend evidence sessions in London, Edinburgh and Cardiff.

The closing date for all submissions to the consultation process will be 31 December 2007. In January 2008 the inquiry team will begin drafting its final report and is likely to conduct some fact-checking with the key stakeholders who have submitted evidence.

In response to criticism during a question and answer session about the short timelines of the inquiry and the need for community pharmacists to respond during their busiest time of the year, Mr Clarke said that he would consider how to work round such problems and that he would take that comment as the first piece of evidence for the inquiry.