About the board
The Pharmacy Board of the Australian Capital Territory (the Board) is established by the ACT Health Professionals Act 2004. It is a statutory body with perpetual succession and common seal, which has the powers and responsibilities prescribed by the Act.
The framework for regulation of the pharmacy profession in the ACT is contained in the above Act, its Regulations, Schedule 4 to the Regulations and Standards Statements, the latter found under 'Notifiable Instruments'.
These are all accessible via LEGISLATION
Board functions
The principle aim of the Board is to protect the public and as such, the Board is responsible for ensuring that only persons who are eligible and hold appropriate qualifications are registered as pharmacists in the ACT. Once registered, those persons practise pharmacy within the requirements of the Health Professionals Act 2004, and according to accepted standards of professional conduct.
The Board seeks to assure itself that applicants for registration are familiar with the ACT legislation and standards of practice relating to pharmacy.
Legislation
Pharmacists should be familiar, in particular, with the Schedule 4 and the Standards Statements accessible at this address:
Complaints
The Board is also responsible for the consideration of complaints against registered pharmacists and general monitoring of the conduct of the profession in the ACT. The Act empowers the Board to take disciplinary action against pharmacists who may be in breach of certain provisions of the Act.
The Act requires that the Board conduct a formal professional or personal assessment panel assessment or Tribunal Inquiry before imposing any disciplinary measures, such as: cautioning or reprimanding the pharmacist, suspension or cancellation of registration, ordering that the pharmacist undergo medical or psychiatric treatment or counselling, or imposing conditions on the registration of the pharmacist as considered appropriate by the Board.
There are provisions under the Act which allow for the pharmacist to make an application to the Administrative Appeals Tribunal (AAT) for a review of the Boards decisions.
Aims
The Board is committed to the improvement and development of customer service, and aims to continue to provide relevant, accurate, and timely advice and assistance to the public and pharmacists on matters relevant to the profession. The Board aims to raise the profile of the Board for the benefit of the profession and the public, through the provision of regular newsletters, information nights and by the establishment of a website.
Board membership
Members including two community representatives are elected or appointed to the Board for a term of up to four years.
The composition of the Board as at 20 May 2008 was:
President
Mr William Kelly
Deputy President
Mr Ken Cox
Members
Dr Gabrielle Cooper
Mr Neil Keen
Mr Patrick Reid
Ms Kerry Deans
Mr Andrew Matthews
Ms Maria Mitchell (Community Representative)
Ms Anne Maree Vogt (Community Representative)
Registrar
Ms Susan Knight
Business Manager
Mr Alan Skelton
Board meetings
The Board meets on the first Wednesday of each month for approximately 4-5 hours. The Board met on 11 occasions during the past year. Sub committees of the Board meet on an ad hoc basis.
Annual Report 08-09
Annual Report
| Download: | 08-09 Annual Report (PDF File - 121k) |
Committees
The Board has a Complaints Officer who, in consultation with the Community and Health Services Complaints Commissioner, investigates complaints and provides reports and recommendations to the Board.
The Professional Standards Committee was established in 2001 and comprises the Deputy President, the Complaints Officer and one other Board member. This Committee is responsible for assessing health complaints and if necessary,it will recommend that the Board hold a personal or professional panel hearing and if suspension or deregistration is being considered, a formal Tribunal Inquiry. The Committee may ask a pharmacist to appear before it if complaints involve dispensing errors or other similar matters.
