Pharmacists who are passionate about the future of their profession are being urged to step
forward for the National Pharmacy Board elections which start in December.
The Royal Pharmaceutical Society of Great Britain (RPSGB) is asking interested candidates to
ensure their nominations are in by the 23 November closing date.

National Boards for England, Scotland and Wales will form the backbone of the new
professional body, and for the first time since the 1840’s there will be no Council next year.
The Council will relinquish its role at the time of the Society’s de-merger, planned for April
2010.

The increased role of the Boards recognises that health policy is different in each country and
those elected will play a major role in making national decisions for the RPSGB. Board
members will be elected with some seats allocated by sector of practice. Each Board will have
a different composition in line with devolution and the needs of each country. England and
Wales will each have 11 places and there will be 12 places on the Scottish Board.

Society Chief Executive and Registrar Jeremy Holmes says; “It really is an exciting time for the
profession and I would like to encourage members who are committed to creating our new
body to stand up and be counted at these elections. The role of the National Pharmacy Boards
is particularly significant as they will be crucial to ensuring that the support and decisions of the
professional leadership body are right for our members.

“All the elected places are vacant in this first election, so this really is your chance to shape
your profession and make a difference. Equally, I would like to urge all members of the Society
in Great Britain to vote so that the elected candidates represent our diverse membership.”

Voting can be done by post or online from 12 December to 22 January 2010. The elections are
being held earlier than in previous years to allow the new Board members time to be inducted
before the Society’s scheduled separation on April 1 next year.

Although there will not be a Council election next year, there will be an Assembly. It will meet
less often than the boards and will look after overall strategic direction as well as maintaining
responsibility for the financial and governance aspects of the organisation. The Assembly will
be made up of members from the English, Scottish and Welsh Pharmacy Boards plus a
pharmaceutical scientist, an academic and a lay member to provide an external perspective.

More information on how to stand for the election can be found at http://www.rpsgb.org by clicking
‘Board Elections’ on the right hand side. The same site will carry online hustings of candidates
after nominations close.

Source
Royal Pharmaceutical Society of Great Britain

A toolkit to help community pharmacies meet their legal and professional requirements to
ensure the confidentiality and security of patient data has been developed collaboratively by
the Royal Pharmaceutical Society of Great Britain (RPSGB), the Pharmaceutical Services
Negotiating Committee (PSNC), the Department of Health and NHS Connecting for Health.

Under the Data Protection Act pharmacies must register with the Information Commissioner’s
Office as data controllers, handle information fairly and lawfully and ensure there are adequate
technical and procedural security measures in place to safeguard the information they hold.

What is more, pharmacies have a contractual requirement to make sure appropriate
arrangements have been made to comply with the NHS Confidentiality Code of Practice and
individually community pharmacists have a professional requirement to comply with the
RPSGB professional standards which govern patient information.

There are 18 Information Governance (IG) requirements that pharmacists will be expected to
comply with and the new toolkit will include template policies, standard operating procedures
and patient information material. It is available on-line at; http://www.igt.connectingforhealth.nhs.uk/
and on the PSNC and RPSGB websites.

English Pharmacy Board Vice- Chairman and community pharmacist, Richard Daniszewski
said; “This toolkit is really important for community pharmacists. We are conscious of our
responsibilities in ensuring safety of patient data and welcome the clear guidelines offered.”

RPSGB IT Pharmacist Stephen Goundrey-Smith says; “To meet the NHS Operating
Framework, each community pharmacy will need to provide appropriate assurances to their
PCT with regards to the set of IG requirements.

“It will also be necessary,” said Stephen, “for pharmacies to undertake an online baseline
assessment by 31st March 2010 against the pharmacy requirements in the IG Toolkit and by
the end of 31st March 2011 community pharmacists will be expected to attain Level 2 against
the pharmacy set of IG requirements. This toolkit is therefore not only timely but also vital if
pharmacists are to comply with that data protection laws and ensure that their customers’
information is appropriately protected.”

Further information is available from the
RPSGB and from
Pharmaceutical Services Negotiating Committee (PSNC).

Source
Royal Pharmaceutical Society of Great Britain

A new Inquiry has been jointly launched by the Royal College of General Practitioners (RCGP) and the Royal Pharmaceutical Society of Great Britain (RPSGB) to encourage closer integrated working between the two professions, locally and nationally.

The Inquiry will examine:

- current barriers to integrated working;
- arrangements that could be put in place to facilitate more effective working in primary care;

- existing examples of good partnership between GPs and pharmacists;

- benefits for patients.

It will take written evidence from a wide and diverse range of stakeholders and some contributors will be called to give oral evidence to a panel of experts from the two organisations.

A final report is expected to be published in February 2010 to inform and shape the public debate around how future primary healthcare services can be delivered more effectively.

RPSGB President Steve Churton said:” This joint Inquiry is the start of an initiative that enables both professions to deliver real improvements in primary healthcare.

“We would particularly like to hear about examples of good practice that can be replicated on a national scale. This project has the potential to result in better working relationships and a better healthcare system for patients.”

Submissions should be sent to Charles Willis at the RPSGB charles.willis@rpsgb.org
A series of questions has been compiled to assist with contributions. They can be found here.

Notes

Initial results from the Inquiry are expected to be published at the end of December, with a final report being released in February 2010.

Source
Royal Pharmaceutical Society of Great Britain

The Royal Pharmaceutical Society of Great Britain (RPSGB) is demanding the closure of a
legal loophole which allows non-pharmacy retailers to sell dangerously large amounts of
paracetamol.

The RPSGB became concerned last week when it was informed a Poundland store in Kent
was selling 48 tablets of the painkiller for just £1.00.

The RPSGB’s Director of Policy, David Pruce said: “It is extremely worrying to know people
may purchase this medicine without any consultation or guidance and inadvertently use it
incorrectly. We know that limiting the amount of paracetamol sold at one time has reduced the
number of deaths from paracetamol poisoning”

Over a decade ago, the Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency (MHRA)
limited the paracetamol pack size in non-pharmacy retailers to 16 tablets - but allowed up to
six packs to be sold at a time.

Most stores, including pharmacies, will only sell a maximum of two packs at a time.

David Pruce said: “I urge members of the public to see their local community pharmacist if they
are in need of medicines. Pharmacists are well-placed to give people expert advice and care,
and are conveniently located on the high streets of most towns. In addition, the public can be
sure medicines bought from a registered pharmacy would have met strict quality control
standards, and would have been manufactured to UK requirements.”

Source
The Royal Pharmaceutical Society of Great Britain

The 150th anniversary of the death of Jacob Bell, founder of the Royal Pharmaceutical Society of Great Britain, was remembered on Friday 12 June at a ceremony at his memorial in Woodbury Park Cemetery, Royal Tunbridge Wells.

President of the Society Steve Churton and the Mayor of Tunbridge Wells, Councillor Leonard Price, were invited by the Friends of Woodbury Park Cemetery to plant medicinal shrubs around the memorial, which has recently been restored by the Society to mark the anniversary.

The past President of the British Society for the History of Pharmacy, (BSHP), Dr Michael Jepson, also took part in the ceremony, unveiling a plaque to mark BSHP’s funding of the medicinal plants.

Bell was a pioneering pharmacist, who founded the Society in 1841. He was also an MP, an art collector and a business advisor to a circle of artists including Sir Edwin Landseer. He died aged 49 at Summerhill House, Tunbridge Wells, in 1859.

President Steve Churton said: “Jacob Bell led the way in developing the status of pharmacy. In establishing the Society, he created the basis of the profession of which generations have been proud to belong. It’s an honour to be at his memorial to remember his many achievements and we intend to carry forward his energy and passion for pharmacy in the years to come.”

The Mayor said: “We are proud that Royal Tunbridge Wells is the final resting place of the distinguished Victorian pharmacist Jacob Bell, who founded the Royal Pharmaceutical Society. Now, 150 years on from his death, it is a fitting tribute that the Society, in association with the Friends of Woodbury Park Cemetery, has restored his memorial. Now we may all honour his achievements in the tranquil and green surroundings of this unique heritage site”.

The day also included the launch of a booklet, Jacob Bell: a useful and honourable life, co-written by Briony Hudson, Keeper of the Society’s Museum Collections and June Bridgeman of the Friends of Woodbury Park Cemetery.

The booklet Jacob Bell: a useful and honourable life costs £4.50 including P&P and is available from The Secretary, Friends of Woodbury Park Cemetery, Bridge House, Culverden Park Road, Tunbridge Wells, Kent TN4 9QX. To buy a copy, please send a cheque (made payable to “FWPC”. All proceeds go towards conservation work by the Friends of Woodbury Park Cemetery.

Royal Pharmaceutical Society of Great Britain

The Royal Pharmaceutical Society of Great Britain (RPSGB) is the professional and regulatory body for pharmacists in England, Scotland and Wales. It also regulates pharmacy technicians on a voluntary basis, which will become statutory from 1 July 2009. The primary objectives of the RPSGB are to lead, regulate, develop and represent the profession of pharmacy.

The RPSGB leads and supports the development of the profession within the context of the public benefit. This includes the advancement of science, practice, education and knowledge
in pharmacy. In addition, it promotes the profession’s policies and views to a range of external stakeholders in a number of different forums.

Following the publication in 2007 of the Government White Paper Trust, Assurance and Safety - The Regulation of Health Professionals in the 21st Century, the RPSGB is working towards the demerger of its regulatory and professional roles. This will see the establishment of a new General Pharmaceutical Council and a new professional body for pharmacy in 2010.

Source
Royal Pharmaceutical Society of Great Britain