Text from RPS Press Release

“Pharmacists from across all sectors of the profession are invited to enter the inaugural Royal Pharmaceutical Society Awards.

There are seven award categories, designed to recognise pharmacists from all sectors of the profession and throughout all stages of their pharmacy careers.

The awards are an opportunity to highlight the achievements and recognise the successes of individuals or groups over the last year.

Those short-listed will be invited to attend an awards dinner to be held on 11 September at the Commonwealth Club in London as part of the RPS annual conference.

The seven RPS categories are: clinical pharmacist of the year; public health pharmacist of the year; leadership in pharmacy award; lifetime achievement award; academy of pharmaceutical science award; British Pharmaceutical Student Association student of the year; and preregistration pharmacist of the year.

An entry form can be downloaded from www.rpharms.com/rpsawards . The deadline for entries is 5pm 29th July 2011.  Successful applicants will be informed on 17 August 2011 if they have been shortlisted to attend the evening awards dinner”

http://www.rpharms.com/pressreleases/pr_show.asp?id=119

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I am still to be convinced that the Society will deliver what I believe is now it’s absolutely fundamental role now that it is no longer regulator – To represent individual pharmacists  and enable them to fulfil their professional ambitions. However, I am willing to give it a year to prove me wrong.

Pharmacists need a strong membership organisation whose voice will be heard in the corridors of power. The RPS already has the required contacts but are they effective at getting their message across? Not convinced. We also need an organisation that stands up for pharmacists at the very times they need support e.g. Getting a seat on GP Consortia or  in support of individual pharmacist when workplace stress gets too much. Again the track record is not great. I believe that the RPS has done far too much navel-gazing since it’s split trying to guarantee it’s own survival and that might come back to bit-them-in-the-bum when the final renewal numbers are confirmed

What they really need is a cause célèbre so they can show to existing members and those who have decided not to renew, that they can make a difference to their professionals lives. We all know that the RP regulations are being used inappropriately be a number of employers e.g. asking locums to sign retrospectively as the RP when work has been carried out without a pharmacist present and to make it even worse worse, asking them to do this without any pay!!! So there you go, a cause célèbre handed to you on a plate

So RPS you have a year. Please step up to the plate and make me proud to be a member. Focus on individual pharmacists and you will de well. Keep your focus on pharmacies and you will fail. Pharmacies have multiple representative bodies to get their corporate view across, pharmacists have the RPS and the PDA. Don’t let us hard working pharmacist down!

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The PDA are about to launch their long term vision “A new pharmacy roadmap” at the upcoming conference which is basically all I have always wanted in the role of a pharmacist. I think all pharmacists should try to attend the meeting and if you can’t like me, spend some time reading through the document after publication.

I believe the RPS is trying to make changes for the benefit of it’s members but I fear that they may be dragged down by the low standing of it’s previous incarnation.

I tell you what. Why don’t they get together to form a British Pharmacist Association!

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- I don´t think is value for money.

- I have to be a member of General Council and NPA and that is quite enough subscriptions.

- I will join this year and during the year I will make a judgement on the RPS being the voice of Pharmacists rather than the voice of cooperate Pharmacy.The RPS must promote the role of the Pharmacist and therefore the safety of the patient so the concept of the responsible Pharmacist must be examined as per conditions at the “coal face” of daily practice.The movement towards remote supervision must be resisted the strength of the Pharmacist/Patient relationship depends on face to face contact

- I shall be retiring from Pharmacy by the end of the year and see no advantage in being a part of this organisation which has hounded pharmacists and done nothing to support them in the 30 years I have been on the register.

- There are 2 of us registered at the one address so one of us will register and then see if it is worth renewing after that.

- I value the idea of belonging to a professional body which distinguishes me from another person who is not trained as a pharmacist.I find the Pharmaceutical Journal very informative and a way of networking with other colleagues in my profession.

- Sounds like an organisation for employers and employees whose subscriptions are paid for them. Will miss the PJ, though. Discussed this with 6 other locums to date – only 1 is renewing subscription.

- The Society need to be given the opportunity to represent us effectively.

- Might as well carry on with PJ and access to Law Dept which I am used to.
As a locum, I do not receive the mailings etc about what is going on, so more important to be kept in touch via PJ.

- mainly because not sure why not to, keeping to what i know is main reason and will assess position next year when get an idea of the numbers and opinions.

- They’ve been so utterly crap in the past, the new incarnation hopefully can’t (!) be any worse, so I’ll give them a year and review it after that.

- probably however if they don’t organise some local branch meetings before then i might not.

- Renewing for silly reason really…During this year I will be celebrating 50 years as a member..Can’t finish on just 49!!

- Not sure why really, like a comfort blanket I guess.

- I have already terminated it…

It looks like the RPS have an uphill battle on their hands as even the more positive comments above are not exactly a ringing endorsement of the would-be professional leadership body!

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To take part, please click on the link below.

http://survey.constantcontact.com/survey/a07e3992u08giir5xrr/start

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