News: Disciplinary Committee Chairman oversteps the mark

In its submission to the GPhC regarding the rules that it will be using when it begins to regulate, the PDA was critical of the current investigation processes used by the RPSGB and the hearings of RPSGB Disciplinary Committee calling them "unnecessarily time consuming, cumbersome and costly".

17-JUL-10

These unnecessary costs are having to be met through pharmacist registration fees. The PDA believes the costs of hearings could be significantly reduced in a number of ways.

Two examples would be:

Using the discretion of the Chair to move proceedings on to the next stage without further and often lengthy committee deliberation if the facts are admitted and the pharmacist has accepted that their fitness to practice is impaired.
Ensuring that chairmen do not operate outside the rules and extend hearings unnecessarily.

The PDA has recently been involved in a case where the RPSGB's lawyers have presented their 'prosecution' evidence against the pharmacist; our member has admitted the facts and has agreed that their fitness to practice is impaired. Everyone expected the Disciplinary Committee to issue a sanction and that that would have been the end of the matter. However, everyone was surprised
when the chairman instead decided to instigate a further investigation, hence prolonging the case and increasing the cost.

The PDA has discussed its views on disciplinary rules at a recent meeting with the Chairman and Chief Executive of the GPhC.

Full details of the PDA submission are available at: http://www.the-pda.org/gphcrules

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