The PDA has described concerns that pharmacists have with some of the specific proposals being made and suggests that the time created by delaying the ballot can be used to address the parts that need attention.
The proposals involve changing the RPS into a charity whose principal objective would be to act in the public interest. The previous objective to safeguard, maintain the honour, and promote the interests of pharmacists, would be lost.
The PDA believes that the things that the RPS seeks to achieve with a Royal College can be delivered without the RPS needing to lose its current pharmacist focussed objective.
The PDA is also concerned about the haste with which this vote is being undertaken, with the profession given just 20 working days between the publication of a proposed new charter wording and the vote upon it. The subsequent lack of awareness of the detailed proposals and their implications was demonstrated by a recent snapshot survey of more than 2,000 PDA members. Learn more.
The PDA is also aware that the RPS has been asked multiple times to explain their claim that the ballot can be decided by a two third majority of those who vote when the existing charter and regulations seem to say two thirds of those eligible to vote is the required threshold, and that these questions remain unanswered.
It is better to take more time in getting it right, than to rush ahead and get it wrong.
The PDA delivered its request to delay the ballot to the RPS and for purposes of transparency, a copy of the open letter received from the RPS in response can be found here.
Since the RPS has not agreed to delay the ballot, the PDA advice to pharmacists is that they should vote NO to the current ballot. A “No” outcome would allow repairs to the proposals to be made, so that they can be widely promoted and secure the broader support of pharmacists before a further ballot can be taken.
Learn more
- PDA says vote ‘NO’ to current RPS charter proposals if they will not cancel ballot
- PDA seeks pharmacists’ views on an important decision on the future of pharmacy
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