2024 Board Elections: Notice and Call for Nominations
Board elections in Districts 2 (Fraser Valley), 4 (Kootenay/Okanagan), 6 (Urban Hospitals), 7 (Community Hospitals) and 8 (Pharmacy Technicians) are happening this Fall and registrants in those districts (see the District Chart) are encouraged to play an important part by nominating candidates or by running in the election.
The term of office for each Board member elected from Districts 2, 4, 6 and 8 will be three years. The term of office for the Board member elected from District 7 will be one year, as the election in that district is being held to fill an unscheduled vacancy. However, due to the anticipated transition to the Health Professions and Occupations Act (HPOA) in 2025, all those elected in 2024 may have their terms of office shortened when the HPOA comes into force. The date that the HPOA will come into force has not yet been established by the provincial government.
It is important that you update your personal information before 5:00 pm on September 13, 2024 to ensure you receive relevant notifications and voting instructions during this election. Only registrants who are assigned to one of those five districts as of September 13, 2024 will be eligible to nominate, run, or vote in these elections. Please see the end of this email for instructions on how to update your information.
The College is responsible for making sure every pharmacist and pharmacy technician in BC is fully qualified and able to provide the public with safe and ethical pharmacy care. Our work is focused on regulating pharmacies and pharmacy professionals in the public interest and not on advocacy for registrants or pharmacy owners. The Board’s role is to provide governance and direction to the College through communication with the Registrar, the Board’s only employee, who in turn operationalizes and implements this guidance. Board members work as a team to make sound policy and governance decisions in the public interest. The Board has a fiduciary relationship with the College which means that it (through each Board member) has a legal duty to act in the best interests of the College and to follow the College’s legal mandate.
Find out more about what the College, Board, and Board members do here:
Sitting on the Board is an opportunity to:
- Be involved in health service delivery to the public at a higher strategic level,
- Gain experiences in supporting success in pharmacy regulation,
- Participate in strategic business discussions of an organization within health regulation,
- Contribute to an organization that is making positive changes for British Columbians receiving pharmacy care including by reducing Indigenous specific racism in pharmacy care, and
- Utilize your skill sets and experiences outside of your usual pharmacy practice environment.
The Board’s Composition Matrix articulates the ideal Board composition and it takes a team of Board members with a mix of these attributes to do the Board’s work. This year, the Board is choosing to focus on the following priority areas to strengthen the Board’s composition:
- Indigenous Membership (First Nations, Métis or Inuit)
- Governance
- Cultural Competence
- Financial Literacy
- Government Relations
- Technological Competency
Nominees must submit a completed and signed Nomination Form and are invited to submit a 500 word (or less) Biography, and a high-resolution digital photo (.JPG or .PNG) to [email protected]. Nomination forms and biography guidelines are available online.
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Board Elections: Key Dates
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Update Your Personal Information so You Don't Miss Your Chance to Nominate, Run, Or Vote in These Elections! Ensure that your most up-to-date employment and home addresses are listed in your eServices profile so that you are eligible to receive relevant notifications and voting instructions. You can only nominate, run, or vote in one electoral district. If you are a full pharmacist, your assigned district is determined by the address of your primary place of practice; in the event that one has not been provided, the College will use your home address.
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These are exciting and challenging times for the regulation of pharmacy, as government and the public look to pharmacists and pharmacy technicians to play an enhanced role in providing quality health care. The College encourages strategic and forward-thinking individuals who are dedicated to our mandate of delivering safe and effective pharmacy services to join our Board. College Board members play a very important role in upholding and carrying out the College’s commitment of being an inclusive and collaborative regulator, dedicated to regulating pharmacies and pharmacy professionals in support of public safety, optimal health, and culturally-safe, equitable care – free from Indigenous-specific and other forms of racism.
I am available to answer and welcome any questions a prospective nominee may have.
Sincerely,
Suzanne Solven, B.Sc.(Pharm.), R.Ph., R.PEBC.
Registrar and CEO