The Pharmaceutical Journal
Vol 280 No 7499 p507
26 April 2008

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• White Paper
• Patient records
• Electronic prescribing
• Pharmacy contract
• Community pharmacy
• Medicines use reviews
• Minor ailment scheme
• Medication errors
• English Pharmacy Board
• Council election
• Education
• Public relations
• New professional body
• The Society (2)
• Euthanasia (2)

Letters to the Editor

New professional body

Need for continuity of engagement

From Mr D. A. Thomson, MRPharmS

A common theme emerges in considering the hopes and ambitions of candidates standing in this year’s election to the Royal Pharmaceutical Society’s Council. That is the need for change. For any organisation this could be hard but for a long established, traditional organisation like the Society, this could be a particularly difficult.

From my engagement with members through branches, as a current member of Council, through the Scottish Pharmacy Board and locally from colleagues within extensive hospital and community pharmacy networks, I am aware of a mounting level of acceptance that radical change not only has to occur but is increasingly long overdue.

The Society, post Shipman, has majored on its regulatory function at the expense of membership services. The imminent split in role and function affords a unique opportunity to redress the balance and fully realise the very real potential these changes will bring. This will allow development of a member-focused organisation that needs to be attractive to prospective members.

Recommendations from the Clarke inquiry indicate a range of options preferred by respondents. The efforts of the transitional committee, to be formed later this year, will be fundamentally important in shaping the future model of our professional body. In addition, the new shadow organisations will be in place by mid 2009 and fully functional in 2010.

In considering the timescales involved, there is a strong need for continuity of engagement and full awareness of current developments. As a member of Council for the past three years, I have been closely involved in these developments. I am strongly committed to the need for change and have worked tirelessly to take this forward.

I aspire to see the work through to completion facilitating the formation of a truly member focused leadership body that we can be justifiably proud of for many years to come. Please help me realise this as an ambition shared with many fellow pharmacists.

David Thomson
Lenzie, Glasgow
Council Election Candidate

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