Council Elections Serving and Protecting the Public Interest

JOIN COUNCIL IN 2019

There are a total of seven Council seats open in districts K, L, T and TH.

DISTRICT K
Two seats available for a three-year term* for pharmacists in electoral District K.

DISTRICT L
Three seats available for a three-year term* for pharmacists in electoral District L.

DISTRICT T
One seat available for a three-year term* for a community pharmacy technician in Ontario.

DISTRICT TH
One seat available for a three-year term* for a pharmacy technician practising in a hospital in Ontario.

*The College is undertaking changes to the Governance Framework for the Council and its Committees which may result in changes to the electoral districts and the terms of office. Any proposed changes will be implemented during the 2020/2021 Council year.

PROTECTING THE INTERESTS, HEALTH AND WELLBEING OF THE PUBLIC

Regulating pharmacy in the public interest is a privilege. The College exists to regulate pharmacy so that the public can be confident in the quality and safety of the pharmacy care and services they receive. They must also be able to trust in the College’s ability to make decisions and act in accordance with its public-protection mandate. Council members do not “represent” those who elected them, and those who elected them are not “constituents.” Rather, Council has a fiduciary duty to put their service to the public above all other interests.

COUNCIL COMPOSITION

Currently, members of Council include 15 elected pharmacists (two from hospital), two elected pharmacy technicians (one from hospital), two deans from the faculties of pharmacy at University of Toronto and University of Waterloo and between nine and 16 members of the public who are publicly appointed.

Council is the policy-making group and acts as the board of directors for the College. The College’s administrative staff is responsible for carrying out these policies and administering the Regulated Health Professions Act, the Pharmacy Act and the Drug and Pharmacies Regulation Act and associated regulations.

Council meetings are held once per quarter and Council members may also be appointed to sit on one or more committees. The Discipline, ICRC (Inquiries, Complaints and Reports Committee), Quality Assurance and Registration Committees all operate using panels comprised by interchanging committee members. In consideration of running for a seat on Council, you should be aware that there will be a time commitment to serve on the panels of the committees. For example, a contested hearing for the Discipline Committee may require multiple-day attendance (i.e. between three to five days at a time). More information about Council can be found on the College’s website.

THE ROLE OF A COUNCIL MEMBER

As a Council member, you are expected to observe the highest standards of impartiality, integrity and objectivity. Your major responsibilities include:

Maintaining a working knowledge of the legislation under which the College operates and making decisions about regulating the profession in the public interest;
Participating in establishing policy, strategic direction, and goals of the College to successfully meet its mission and purpose;
Anticipating and responding to changing expectations and emerging trends and addressing emerging risks and opportunities;
Anticipating and embracing opportunities for regulatory and governance innovation;
Reviewing all preparation material in advance of Council and committee meetings and contributing and engaging constructively in discussions undertaken at these meetings.

NOMINATION PROCESS

To stand for election, you must be nominated by three members of the College who are eligible to vote in the electoral district for which you are nominated.

Your nomination paper must be accompanied by your signature which affirms your commitment to the Objects of the College and that you undertake to comply with the College’s policies, the By-Laws, Code of Ethics and Code of Conduct and procedures for Council and committee members, all of which can be found on the College website.

If you are considering running for election in the future, please note that considerable weight will be given to candidates who have served on statutory committees as a Non-Council Committee Member prior to seeking election (see The Role Of A Non-Council Committee Member in Calling for Volunteers to Serve on College Committees).

Learn more about the election process on our website.

If you have questions, send an email to Sarah MacDougall, Council and Committee Liaison at: councilelections@ocpinfo.com