Still Current At: 05 September 2010
Last Updated: 25/03/2009 11:07:54
PHARMACEUTICAL CONTRACTORS COMMITTEE (NI) LTD.
The Local Pharmaceutical Committee was first established in 1948, shortly after the establishment of the National Health Service. It was felt that there needed to be a negotiating Committee set up to represent the interests of contractors with the Government in Northern Ireland through the then Ministry for Health in Northern Ireland.
The Local Pharmaceutical Committee was reconstituted in 1973 and changed it’s title to the Pharmaceutical Contractors Committee (NI). The Pharmaceutical Contractors Committee (NI) (PCC) maintained the additional title of Local Pharmaceutical Committee (LPC). LPC is the expression used in the Pharmaceutical Regulations to describe a body recognised by Government and the Department of Health and Social Services as representative of pharmaceutical contractors.
On 15th June 2005 the Pharmaceutical Contractors Committee became a Company Limited by Guarantee, and registered with the Companies Office in Northern Ireland.
The PCC is composed of seven elected representatives of contractor pharmacists from the Greater Belfast Area and three representatives from each of the four Area Health Boards. The Presidents of the Pharmaceutical Society of Northern Ireland and the Ulster Chemists’ Association may be co-opted to the Committee as “ex-officio” members during their term of office, provided they are contractor pharmacists. Of the three representatives from the Area Health Boards, two are elected members and the other is nominated annually by the Area Pharmaceutical Advisory Committee of each Area Health Board.
The PCC elects a Chairman, Vice Chairman and Honorary Treasurer annually from within the Committee. The post of Chief Executive is a more recent innovation on the Committee and replaced the post of Secretary to the Committee. It should be noted that neither the Chief Executive nor the Honorary Treasurer need to be members of the Committee. Elections to the Committee are held annually during September and half the members of the Committee have to submit themselves for re-election each year.
In order to be eligible for membership of the Committee, a person must be either a pharmaceutical contractor or a Superintendent of a body corporate, and an elected member needs to be proposed and seconded for membership of the PCC by two pharmacy contractors from within his/her Board’s Area. The candidate must also give a written indication that if elected he/she will be prepared to serve on the Committee. The Committee also has the authority to co-opt a member to fill a casual vacancy between elections, should a vacancy arise.
