RPS pharmacy board election results announced

The Royal Pharmaceutical Society (RPS) has announced the results of its 2016 national pharmacy board elections, after voting closed on 27 May 2016.

While there was a 16.4% rise in the number of votes compared with 2015, the overall percentage of eligible RPS members who turned out to vote was 11.5%, a slight drop of 0.2%.

The majority of votes were cast via the online voting platform, making up 93.1% (2,863 votes) of the overall turnout, with the remaining 6.9% (212 votes) returned by post.

People elected to the boards – the RPS committees in Great Britain that decide on Society policy – serve a three-year term unless elected into a casual vacancy position.

England

In the first year since sectoral specific places were scrapped, England saw a 1.8% fall in voter turnout. A total of 2,307 RPS members, 10.0% of the 23,191 who were eligible to vote, submitted their vote in 2016. Five positions were up for grabs on the English Pharmacy Board (EPB) with 11 candidates to choose from.

The results for England see the return of some familiar faces. Sharon ‘Sibby’ Buckle and David Carter were re-elected to the EPB after their three-year term came to an end in 2015.

Former chair of the EPB, David Branford, received the highest number of votes (13.9%), with his fellow former board member Elizabeth Butterfield (11.1%) coming second. Both return to the EPB after losing their seats on the board in the 2015 elections. “I’m delighted to be elected,” says Branford, “My thanks to the many pharmacists who supported me. I am looking forward to working with Sandra Gidley and the EPB team helping to move pharmacy forward.”

Tracey Thornley, a senior manager at Boots UK and an honorary professor at the University of Nottingham, has been elected to join the EPB for the first time. Thornley was on the advisory group for the RPS’s report on the future of pharmacy, ‘Now or Never: Shaping Pharmacy for the Future’.

The elected members will assume their roles at 12.01am on Wednesday 22 June 2016.

Wales

An election was not required in Wales in 2015 because only two nominations were received for four available places on the Welsh Pharmacy Board. No nominations were received for the community pharmacy and primary care sector positions so casual vacancies were opened, subject to co-option.

In 2016, the Welsh elections had a turnout of 21.4% of the 1,307 individuals who were eligible to vote. Three positions, plus a casual vacancy, needed to be filled on the board from a choice of five candidates.

The two-year term casual vacancy was filled by Phil Parry, while the community pharmacy positions were won by Ruth Mitchell, pharmacy operations manager at Boots UK, and Sudhir Sehrawat, a superintendent and director for Clifton Pharmacy Ltd. Jamie Hayes gained the highest number of votes (23.4%) and was elected to the board under any sector.

“I am delighted to have been elected to join the RPS Welsh Board,” says Sehrawat. “Thanks to those members who have supported me to take up this role. I am really looking forward to joining the board’s cross sector team and delivering the chair’s vision for RPS Wales.”

The elected members will assume their roles at 12.01am on Monday 20 June 2016.

Scotland

In 2015, spaces for the Scottish Pharmacy Board were filled by members who were elected unopposed so an election was not required. However, in 2016 Scotland saw a voting turnout of 21.5%, or a total of 489 out of 2,275 individuals who were eligible to vote in Scotland. Three positions were available and members had a choice of five candidates.

John McAnaw, chair of the board, was re-elected for another three years after receiving the majority of votes (24.7%). He will be joined by Kathleen Cowle, relationships and revenue manager for Scotland at Boots UK, and Johnathan Laird, a pharmacy manager and independent pharmacist prescriber. “I am delighted and humbled to be elected to represent RPS members in Scotland,” says Laird. ”The line-up of candidates in Scotland was really strong so to be elected was quite unexpected for me. I would also like to thank the candidates for such an open and honest campaign conducted in a very professional manner.”

The elected members will assume their roles at 12.01am on Tuesday 14 June 2016.

For a comprehensive breakdown of the RPS pharmacy board election results, visit the RPS website.