Pharmacy Daily | SHPA Constitution revamp

PHARMACY assistants and technicians will be able to become voting members of the Society of Hospital Pharmacists of Australia (SHPA) as part of a wide-ranging proposed makeover of the organisation's Constitution.

The SHPA has confirmed details of the update which it says will "reflect best contemporary practice [and] allow SHPA to become a more agile and responsive organisation".

Key changes will see the introduction of remuneration for SHPA directors to acknowledge the fiduciary risk they bear "as done at all pharmacy organisations".

A new board structure would include seven elected pharmacists and three other "non-member expert directors" to provide a broader skill base.

And the Constitutional change will also see the addition of technicians and pharmacy assistants as voting members, and organisations as non-voting members, to "ensure broader perspectives inform more considered decision-making".

Existing clauses regarding branch operations will move from the Constitution itself to instead be expressed in "supporting regulations" which will "better reflect levels of duty and obligation in the organisation".

The Society has published a list of Frequently Asked Questions, collating feedback from discussions held by its Member Advisory Committee, consultations and an online discussion forum relating to the proposed Constitution.

Key issues raised include the criteria for qualifications and classifications of technicians, and whether pharmacists would be unwilling to pay a higher level of membership fee to obtain the same voting rights as technican members.

The current semi-proportional representation for states and territories would cease on the new board, with a single elected director from each branch.

Proposed remuneration fees for the board are $600 per day for a director ($1000 for the chair) for face-to-face meetings and $240 ($400 for the chair) for teleconferences, with a total combined annual budget of $52,000 annually.

More info at shpa.org.au.