The function of the Investigating Committee is set out in Article 50 of the Pharmacists and Pharmacy Technicians Order 2007 and Rule 6 of the Royal Pharmaceutical Society of Great Britain (Fitness to Practise and Disqualification etc) Rules 2007.
For the Order and Rules, click on the links below:
Contact:
Tel: 020 7572 2623For more information click on the links below:
Consultation on cases for non-referral to the Investigating Committee
Membership of the Investigating Committee
Undertakings relating to practice of registrants accepted by the Investigating Committee
Proceedings
The Royal Pharmaceutical Society of Great Britain has conducted a review of the fitness to practise cases that are currently considered by the Investigating Committee and invited views on proposals for non-referral of cases to the Investigating Committee. Views on the proposals were invited by 18 April 2008.
Click on the link below for the consultation document:
Contact:
Kate BenetisThe members of the Investigating Committee are:
Dr Kenneth Mullan (Chairman)
Judith Worthington (Deputy Chairman)
Sarah Brown (Lay member)
V'lain Fenton-May (Pharmacist member)
Gillian Fleming (Lay member)
Corrine Hunt (Pharmacy technician member)
Mohammed Hussain (Pharmacist member)
Julie Mathieson (Pharmacy technician member)
Linda Stone (Pharmacist member)
Kenneth Thomson (Lay member)
For the register of members' interests, click on a member's name in the list above
For an explanation of the register of members' interests, click here
All Committee members are expected to abide by a Code of Conduct. To see the Code, click here
On 7 June 2007, the Investigating Committee of the Royal Pharmaceutical Society of Great Britain accepted undertakings under Rule 13 (4) of the Royal Pharmaceutical Society of Great Britain (Fitness to Practise and Disqualification etc.) Rules 2007:
For more information, click the links below
The only outcomes of the Investigating Committee published are undertakings relating to the practice of registrants. No other outcomes of the Investigating Committee are published.
Essentially, the Investigating Committee is a screening committee. It is required to consider all cases referred to it, and to decide whether or not to refer the case to the Disciplinary Committee or the Health Committee, or whether the Society should bring a criminal prosecution.
When deciding to refer a case, the Investigating Committee may recommend that it should be fast tracked, put before the relevant committee for urgent consideration of whether or not to impose an interim order, or that a case management meeting should be held.
Before making its decision, the Investigating Committee may order further inquiries to be made, including obtaining medical reports. Where the allegation is admitted, the Investigating Committee may decide, instead of referring a case, to accept written undertakings from a registrant or to issue a warning (Rule 13). The Investigating Committee also has the power to give advice.
The Investigating Committee may decide to take no further action, but the registrant will be informed that should any further allegation be received by the Society within 5 years, the original allegation may be reconsidered. The Committee may also reconsider its decision at any time within 5 years, if it receives new evidence or information (Rule 15).
The Investigating Committee sits in private and does not hear oral evidence (Rule 12(1)). The Committee can receive any documentary evidence, subject only to the requirements of relevance and fairness (Rule 30).
The Investigating Committee will employ a "real prospect test" in deciding whether or not to refer a case to the Health or Disciplinary Committee and will take into account its referral criteria, and any guidance issued by the Society (Rules 12(3) and (5)).
The Registrar is required to notify the registrant of the decision taken by the Investigating Committee (Article 50(3)(c)). In practice, this is done by the Committee Secretariat.
For a guide to the matters that the Committee will take into account in deciding whether or not to refer a matter to the Disciplinary Committee or Health Committee, click on the link below: