The Pharmaceutical Journal
Vol 279 No 7471 p363-364
29 September 2007

Society summary

Society's Open Day: members come to visit, look and question

On Sunday 23 September 2007 the Society's London headquarters building at Lambeth was opened to members to visit, meet staff and Council members and question them and the President Hemant Patel, the Treasurer Andrew Gush and the Chief Executive and Registrar Jeremy Holmes. They also had the opportunity to bring guests, visit the museum, have a tour of the building and join a boat trip on the river Thames.

One member, Evelyn Cook, who has been on the Register for 44 years, said the Open Day gave her the chance to meet staff: “I have never been to the Lambeth office and I was impressed. I learnt a lot through the opportunity to talk with staff.”

Short presentations, given by Mr Patel, Mr Gush and Mr Holmes, were followed by questions that focused on the separation of the Society’s functions and the proposed 50 per cent fee increase.

In response to a question from David Thomas (Thames Valley) about why the Society had accepted the separation without argument, Stephen Denyer, member of Council, explained that it was non-negotiable. The Government had “gifted” regulation to the Society in the 1930s and it had decided to take it away and establish the General Pharmaceutical Council.

Mr Holmes, in response to a question from Alan Rogers (Epsom) said that he was revising the staff structure and would be strengthening communication with members.

Photographs (PDF 390K)

Copies of the presentations are on the Society’s website