1.1

To promote the highest standards of pharmaceutical practice within the speciality of mental health (including learning disabilities, Forensics Services, Child and Adolescent Mental Health Services, Older People’s Mental Health Services, Prison Services).

1.2

To promote the role of specialist mental health pharmacy practitioners in optimising treatment with medicines, though communication, mentorship, support and dissemination of good practice.

1.3

To lead, promote and encourage research relating to medicines management within mental health.

1.4

To be the forum for all pharmacy practitioners with an interest in mental health.

1.5

To inform and guide the pharmacy organisations including the Royal Pharmaceutical Society of Great Britain (RPSGB) and the Pharmaceutical Society of Northern Ireland (PSNI) about the pharmaceutical needs of patients with a mental health problem.

1.6

To encourage and promote specialist postgraduate and other education of pharmacy practitioners to facilitate improved practice in mental health.

1.7

To facilitate further development of the College of Mental Health Pharmacists as the accreditation body for specialist mental health pharmacists.

1.8

To work in partnership with other groups, including service users and carers, on matters relating to mental health practice.

1.9

To develop and monitor standards of pharmaceutical practice in mental health.

1.10

To promote the role of pharmacy practitioners in mental health care.

2.1

Types

1.

Full membership is open to pharmacists registered with the RPSGB and the PSNI and Pharmacy Technicians holding a B TECH / NVQ 3 or equivalent qualification, and eligible for registration with the RPSGB or the PSNI.

2.

Associate membership is available to anyone who supports the philosophies and activities of the group, but is not eligible for full membership.  Associate membership confers all rights, except voting and the right to hold office.

3.

Fellowship is awarded by the committee at their discretion, and confers identical rights to full membership (see below).

4.

Corporate membership is open to the pharmaceutical industry and other corporate bodies. Corporate members have restricted rights of membership as outlined in the Corporate Membership Scheme Document. Corporate members do not have voting rights or the right to hold office.

2.2

Application procedure

1.

Application for membership must be on the approved form with the required joining fee.

2.

Membership will be considered upon application and the committee reserves the right to refuse application.

2.3

Termination

1.

Members may resign by writing to the Membership Secretary.

2.

The committee, via the Secretary, may terminate membership for a justified reason.  The right of appeal exists, before the decision is finalised.

2.4

Fellowship

1.

Fellowship recognises long-term achievement within the field of mental health pharmacy.

2.

It cannot be awarded to present committee members, but may be awarded to past members.

3.

Fellows are expected to support the functioning of the current committee.

3.1

Annual General Meeting:

1.

There will an Annual General Meeting (AGM) of the UKPPG. It will normally take place during the Annual Conference.

2.

A quorum should be a minimum of thirty members, or 15% of the membership of the UKPPG, whichever figure is larger. General meetings will be chaired by the Chair or, in their absence, the Vice Chair of the UKPPG committee.

3.

All members are entitled to attend and vote on motions presented to general meetings.  Voting will be by personal attendance or by postal vote, on application to the Secretary.

4.

Motions for presentation to general meetings must be proposed and seconded in writing, and received by the Secretary at least 28 days before the date of the Annual General Meeting.

5.

An annual report, including audited accounts, will be presented at the AGM.

3.2

Special General Meeting

1.

A Special General Meeting may be called by the committee, or by appropriate request of the members.

2.

The membership may call a Special General Meeting by writing to the secretary, requesting a Special General Meeting. The request must be signed by at least thirty members, or 15% of the membership of the UKPPG, whichever figure is larger.

3.

Members must be given at least 28 days notice that a Special General Meeting has been called.

4.

At least thirty members, or 15% of the membership, whichever figure is larger, must be present at the Special General Meeting to consider the meeting properly constituted.

3.3

Voting Procedure at General Meetings:

1.

Motions and amendments to the original motion require both a proposer and seconder to attend and present their views in person.

2.

Voting must firstly take place on any amendment(s) to the motion.

3.

Final voting will take place on the substantive motion incorporating any agreed amendments.

4.

Postal, or email votes will only be counted for motions which are not subject to amendment, and will be counted at the same time as voting by members attending the meeting.

5.

Motions will be passed, or lost on the basis of a simple majority.

6.

The Chair will have the casting vote.

4.1 

Organisation

1.

The committee is responsible for the organisation and management of the UKPPG within the mission statement and overall objectives.

2.

The committee will contain between 6 and 12 members. 

3.

The UKPPG will be non political and support diversity.

4.

Six committee members, or 50% of the committee, whichever figure is larger, shall constitute a quorum for committee meetings.

5.

The committee will convene a minimum of 4 meetings a year.

4.2

Executive Officers

1.

The committee has four executive officers: the Chair, Vice Chair, Treasurer and Secretary. 

4.3

Sectorial representation

1.

The committee will include at least one member from each of the following areas: secondary care pharmacy, primary care pharmacy and academic/research pharmacy. 

2.

The committee will include at least one pharmacy technician and one pharmacist.

4.4

Co-opted Members

1.

The committee may fill vacancies by co-option until the next AGM.

2.

Co-option may be utilised to ensure that the membership of the committee covers the sectors of pharmacy detailed within section 4.3.

3.

If co-option is required to cover a particular area, the opportunity to join the committee should be offered to the wider membership. If more than one member of the UKPPG who covers that speciality wishes to join the committee, a secret ballot should be held by the committee.

4.

If there is no requirement to co-opt to cover a particular specialist area, any opportunity for co-option should initially be offered to the UKPPG member who achieved the highest number of votes, but failed to gain election to the committee at the most recent AGM where there was a contested election. The record of voting will be recorded in the minutes of the AGM.

5.

A maximum of three vacancies may be filled by co-option.

6.

Co-opted members will have full voting rights.

7.

Appointment of co-opted members will be made at a committee meeting and will take effect immediately following the meetings decision to appoint the co-optee.

8.

If co-opted members wish to remain on the committee they should stand for election following the usual procedure at the next AGM following their co-option (See 6.1).

9.

Representatives from other organisations such as the Guild of Healthcare Pharmacists may be co-opted onto the committee in a liaison capacity

4.5

Sub-committees

1.

The committee may from time to time appoint and prescribe the function of sub-committees as deemed necessary, and will have the powers to modify and dissolve such committees as required.

2.

No sub-committee shall expend funds otherwise than in accordance with a budget agreed by the committee.

5.1 

Subscriptions

1.

Each member will pay an annual subscription; additionally in the first year of membership new members shall pay a joining fee.

2.

The subscription will apply to the membership year, which starts on the 1st of April each year. Pro-rata reductions are not available.

3.

If new membership is obtained after the 1st of February in any given year, the joining fee will also cover the following year.

4.

Members will pay an annual fee payable on 1st April, after this date a member whose fees remain unpaid by 1st May is deemed in default and not entitled to the benefits of membership.

5.

The subscription rate will be agreed at the AGM and become operational on the 1st of April of the next membership year.

6.

To obtain the reduced rate for the annual conference, membership is required from the 1st of April of the same year as the conference.

5.2

General

1.

The financial year will commence on 1st April.

2.

Two individuals, who are members of the UKPPG, but not members of the committee, should be elected at the AGM to examine the audited accounts.

3.

The books and records of the group may be inspected by the membership at any time.

5.3

Payment of accounts

1.

Bank accounts shall be run in the name of the group.

2.

The Chair, Treasurer, Secretary and one other nominated committee members are permitted to sign cheques on behalf of the UKPPG. Any two of these four must sign each withdrawal. 

6.1

Election to the committee:

1.

Election of committee members will take place via postal voting.

2.

All full members and fellows of the UKPPG will be entitled to vote.

3.

Nominations must be received by the Secretary at least two months prior to the AGM. 

4.

Any nominations for election to the committee must be in writing and proposed and seconded by two UKPPG members. (Model nomination forms are available from the web-site). 

5.

Members of the UKPPG who have stood for election will be informed individually of the results at least 7 days before the AGM.

6.

The results will be officially announced at the Annual General Meeting.

7.

Committee members will retire from office at the Annual General Meeting three years after appointment to the committee. All committee members, including officers and co-opted members, must stand for re-election if they wish to remain on the committee.

6.2

Election to the executive officers:

1.

Executive officers are elected by the committee. 

2.

The Chair will remain in post for two years and, on the retirement of the Chair, the Vice Chair will normally assume this office.

3.

The election procedure for Vice Chair is as follows - nominations to the post must be proposed and seconded by committee members; these must be received by the current Chair at least seven days before the first committee meeting after the AGM.  If there is more than one nomination for the post, a secret ballot will take place at the first committee meeting after the AGM. Each member will have one vote and votes will be collated by the secretary. 

4.

In the event of the Vice Chair being unable to take up the position of Chair, an election for the Chair will be conducted, following the same procedure as the election for the Vice Chair. 

5.

The election procedure for both the Treasurer and the Secretary will be identical to that for the Vice Chair, except that any election will occur at the next committee after a vacancy, or potential vacancy, has occurred.

6.

The treasurer and secretary will be appointed for a period of 3 years, ratified on an annual basis by the Chair after consulting the committee.

7.

There must be a gap of at least 4 years before a past Chair or Vice Chair seeks re-election to the office of Vice Chair.

6.3

Miscellaneous

1.

If any committee member or member of the UKPPG has concerns with the performance of any member of the committee, including executive officers, this should be brought to the attention of the Vice Chair (or the Chair in the case of the Vice Chair).  The Vice Chair (or Chair) should then investigate the situation with concerned parties (and their representative, if required). If, subsequent to the investigation, the issues remain, the Chair or Vice Chair should discuss the issue at a full committee meeting when the member of the committee and their representative (if required) are present.  It should be borne in mind that the decision of the committee may lead to a recommendation of relinquishing executive office, or standing down from the committee.

2.

Other circumstances may result in a member of the committee, including officers, being unable to perform their duties. In such circumstances, in the case of executive posts, a further election will be called, as outlined in 6.2.

3.

If a Chair is involved in national strategic developments that are likely to continue after the 2 year Chair ship period has expired, the immediate past-Chair may continue negotiations on behalf of the committee.

7.1

Issues not covered

1.

Any matter not provided for in the constitution and concerning the organisation and activities of the group should be taken to the wider membership of the UKPPG.

7.2

Amendments to the Constitution

1.

No alterations to the constitution may be made, except at the AGM, or at a Special General Meeting called for this purpose.

2.

Only full members of the UKPPG may propose amendments to the UKPPG constitution.

3.

Proposals to amend the UKPPG constitution at the AGM must be received by the secretary in writing, with proposer and seconder, at least 28 days prior to the date of the AGM.

4.

Members proposing amendments to the constitution must attend the AGM or Special General Meeting in person to present their amendment.

5.

Voting on amendments to the constitution will follow the general voting procedure except that:
- alterations to the constitution require the assent of at least two thirds of the membership voting.
- abstentions will count as a vote against any amendment.

7.3

Winding up

1.

The UKPPG may only be wound up following a two-thirds majority at a General Meeting, this decision must be confirmed again by a two-thirds majority via a postal ballot within 56 days.

2.

Any finance remaining after payment of all the UKPPG’s liabilities and debts should be forwarded to a requested charity within the field of mental health.

1.

The UKPPG will have a web site, which should be accessible by members of the public.

2.

The committee will appoint a webmaster, who will have overall responsibility for site maintenance, and set members’ access permissions for selected pages.

3.

There is no requirement for the web master to be a member of the committee, but he or she should liaise closely with the committee.

4.

The committee may decide that specified web pages should only be available to certain groups of individuals.

5.

The content of the site should be compatible with the objectives of the UKPPG.

6.

The UKPPG holds no responsibility for the content of pages accessed via links from the website.

1.

The College of Mental Health Pharmacists (CMHP) was commissioned by the UKPPG in 1999.

2.

The CMHP is managed by an elected Council. It is professionally accountable to its membership and financially accountable to the UKPPG.

3.

Membership of the CMHP is open to members of the UKPPG who demonstrate a high level of competence in the practice of psychiatric pharmacy.

4.

The Chairperson of the UKPPG will be an ex-officio member of the CMHP Council, and the President of the CMHP Council will be an ex-officio member of the UKPPG committee; neither will have voting rights on the reciprocal body.

5.

The CMHP Council will abide by its own constitution.

Chair

The duties and responsibilities of the Chair include, but are not restricted to:

a.

Responsibility for developing, in conjunction with the Vice Chair, appropriate short, medium and long-term strategic plans for the future direction and the overall management of the UKPPG.

b.

Responsibility for leading strategic development according to any long-term plan; this will include appropriate updating and modifications of the plan, and handing over responsibility and progress to date to the incoming Chair at the end of the term of office.

c.

Chair meetings of the committee, the AGM and any Special General Meeting.

d.

Responsibility for monitoring the performance of the other committee members, and acting on areas of identified poor performance.

e.

Promoting the role of UKPPG and of mental health pharmacy at both a national and international level.

f.

Representing the UKPPG at other meetings as required, including CMHP meetings.

g.

Presenting the annual report at the AGM.

h.

Ensuring that terms of reference and appropriate membership, including Chair, are in place for any sub-committees.

i.

Approving the agenda and minutes of committee meetings in conjunction with the Secretary.

j.

Approving summaries of the UKPPG committee meetings produced by the Secretary for the newsletter and website (this may be delegated to the Vice-Chair or another committee member).

k.

Maintaining communication with the membership, including submission of copy for every edition of newsletter.

l.

Co-ordinating responses to national strategic documents as appropriate.

Vice-Chair

The duties and responsibilities of the vice-chair include, but are not restricted to:

a.

Performing the duties and deputising for the Chair if required.

b.

Considering future plans and ideas for the development of the UKPPG.

c.

Supporting the Chair within the UKPPG as necessary.

Immediate Past Chair

The duties and responsibilities of the immediate past chair include, but are not restricted to:

a.

Acting as advisor and providing appropriate support to his or her successor.

b.

Taking responsibility for the completion of any items of work commenced during their term of office as Chair.

c.

Attending meetings as requested by the Chair.

Secretary

The duties and responsibilities of the secretary include, but are not restricted to:

a.

Responsibility for the organisation and operational management of the UKPPG and committee.

b.

Preparing an annual report of activity for the AGM – to include a Secretary’s report.

c.

Organising the logistics e.g. venue etc aspects of committee meetings

d.

Preparing and circulating the agenda and associated paperwork for committee meetings. The agenda should be agreed with the Chair and should be circulated at least 14 days before any committee meeting.

e.

Producing accurate minutes from committee meetings, to include producing a meeting summary for the newsletter and website.  Contact committee members to ensure action points are completed.

f.

Acting as first contact point, via email, for external organisations.

g.

Organising any elections to the committee and any ad-hoc postal votes.

h.

Producing and maintaining a contact list for all committee members.

i.

Producing accurate minutes from the AGM and any Special General Meeting.

Treasurer / Membership Secretary

The duties and responsibilities of the treasurer include, but are not restricted to:

a.

Responsibility for keeping account of all income and expenditure on behalf of the UKPPG.

b.

Preparing a short financial report detailing income and expenditure for each committee meeting.

c.

Preparing fully audited accounts for approval at the AGM.

d.

Conducting banking transactions within standard budgetary guidance.

e.

Reviewing any proposed plans with regard to financial implications for the UKPPG.

f.

Maintaining stock of official UKPPG stationery. This may be contracted out to a commercial organisation.

g.

Co-ordinating any membership recruitment campaign. This may be contracted out to a commercial organisation.

h.

Maintaining a membership database, mailing lists and labels for UKPPG members. This may be contracted out to a commercial organization or delegated to the membership secretary.

Committee Member

The duties and responsibilities of a committee member include, but are not restricted to:

a.

Supporting the mission statement, objectives and aims of the UKPPG by attendance and active participation at committee meetings.

b.

Leading and/or contributing to UKPPG responses to strategic national documents as necessary.

c.

Active participation in developing suitable programmes for the annual conference.

d.

Actively promoting best practice and research relating to medication management within mental health.

e.

Offering support to the UKPPG by encouraging the recruitment of new members and providing publicity for meetings.

f.

Representing the UKPPG on national and international professional organizations as agreed at committee meetings.

g.

Membership of sub-committees or groups (such as selection of prize winners) as requested by the Chair.

h.

Co-ordinating and developing strategies relating to the future development of the UKPPG in conjunction with the Chair and rest of the committee.

i.

Responsibility for an individual portfolio as detailed in Appendix 2.

1.

Each committee member will have an individual portfolio.

2.

The current portfolios and associated responsibilities are listed below.

3.

The role of the Chair will be to co-ordinate the work on the individual portfolio, and thus the Chair will not be required to lead on an individual portfolio.

4,

To allow flexibility the portfolios and responsibilities will be updated regularly without any requirement to re-write the constitution.

PORTFOLIO

RESPONSIBILITY

Membership
services

Maintenance and development of membership pack. Bursaries.
Maintenance of membership database i.e.: Xara or similar.
Promotion of membership and expansion of membership base.

Education & Training

Lead on the production and development of E&T including Psych 1, 2 and 3, and Tech Training.
Continue and develop business case for running courses for non-medical & medical prescribers, PWSI, undergraduate/post graduate nurse education, care workers etc.

I.T. & Website

Maintain and develop website including secure password protected access and charging access to specific resources.
Develop tools for developing web based resources for education and training.
Maintain email and other forms of effective networking for UKPPG members.
Ensure UKPPG resources are available electronically.

Public Relationships
Promotion and Marketing

Promote UKPPG to external organisations and groups. 
Promote events including external conference attendance, industry sponsorship. Develop corporate sponsorship package. Copyright issues.
Develop systems on web based distribution sources.
Product, monitor and maintain PR material.

User and Carer

Liaise with Voluntary Sector, User Groups, promote UKPPG members as appropriate resource, encourage use of UKPPG training and resources such as PAL’s.
Promote user groups to UKPPG members.

Research,
Development and Performance

Identify research need in UKPPG areas of interest.
Encourage and facilitate research and funding/sponsorship bursary development.
Develop and support R&D, and encourage publication.

Consultation on Guidelines, Policies and Legislation

To manage and co-ordinate the consultation process within the UKPPG working closely with the CMHP.
Establish a group of UKPPG members available for consultation or working groups.

Workforce Issues

Manage the consultation process.
Succession planning.

Communication and Publication Management

Maintain regular written and electronic communication with members.
Commission work to inform members.
Publish work of members. Bulletin and newsletter.

Conference organisation

Lead on the continued production of an annual conference in October.
Develop additional conference resources to target non-secondary care pharmacists and other health care professionals.