Election Process

Apply now for the Board Election

Applications are now being accepted for candidates interested in running for election to the College’s Board of Directors for the 2024-25 year. There are three available seats for pharmacists, and one for a pharmacy technician. 

As a competency-based Board, ideal candidates will include those with competency in financial oversight and who reflect diverse populations, marginalized groups and individuals with disabilities, or those with experience working with these groups. Availability of approximately 20 days per year is mandatory for all applicants. 

Qualified individuals who are interested in running for an available position must complete an application. Once submitted, applicants will be screened according to the process outlined in the Director Profile. The deadline for applying is May 17, 2024. 

About the OCP Board of Directors

The Board of Directors is the oversight and policy-making group for the College who ensure the interests of the public are protected and maintained through the development of policies and regulations. The Board comprises competent, leaders – pharmacy professionals and members of the public appointed by government – who set the strategy for the College and ensure that it fulfills its legislated mandate to serve the public interest and promote the delivery of quality, ethical and safe pharmacy services to Ontarians. 

Serving as a member of the Board of Directors is an opportunity to play an important role in advancing the College’s legislated mandate to regulate the profession in the public interest. All Board Directors – pharmacy professionals elected to the Board and members of the public appointed by government and academic appointees as required by statute – share a fiduciary duty to serve and protect the public interest. 

 Responsibilities and Commitments Required from a Board Director

Serving as a member of the Board of Directors is an opportunity to play an important role in advancing the College’s legislated mandate to regulate the profession in the public interest. All Board Directors – elected pharmacy professionals and members of the public appointed by government and academic appointees as required by statute – share a fiduciary duty to serve and protect the public interest. 

Elected Board Directors will be appointed to serve on the Discipline Committee as per the Regulated Health Professions Act (RHPA) legislation and may also be considered for appointment to other standing Committees of the Board. Committee appointments are approved by the Board at the first meeting following the election. The total time commitment will vary depending on the level of involvement on committees and interested applicants should be prepared to serve approximately 20 days per year. It is crucial that individuals seeking election to the Board understand the obligation to serve on Discipline Committee panels and factor it into their decision to run for a seat on the Board. 

Registrants are asked to consider the responsibilities, skills and time commitment required to effectively fulfill a Director role before submitting their application. Prospective candidates are also required to have read the below election documents prior to submitting their application. 

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Election Documents to Review Prior to Applying

Application and Screening Process

Registrants interested in applying to run for election to the Board are asked to complete the application form. Please note that you must review the Director Profile and complete and upload the application form, including attachments, to be eligible. Once an application has been submitted, candidates will be screened according to the process outlined in the Director Profile.  

Election Date and Voting

An election for the 2024-2025 Board of Directors will be held from July 17 – August 6, 2024. Further details will be published once available. 

Every registrant who holds a valid Certificate of Registration as a pharmacist or a pharmacy technician, who practices or resides in Ontario, does not have a shared email address (e.g., SandyandDave@gmail) and who is not in default of payment of the annual fee, is entitled to vote in the election. Through BigPulse — a service provider specializing in secure and protected e-voting — the College will send all voters a notification when voting is open. Please be sure to check your spam folder or contact the College if you do not receive an email asking you to vote in the election. 

Election Results

Following the election, independent scrutineers review detailed vote outcomes and submit a report to the College’s Board verifying the outcome of the election. The names of those elected are made publicly available on the College’s website. 

Questions

If you have questions, you may contact the College at boardelections@ocpinfo.com. Answers to frequently asked questions about the election process are also available further down on this page.  

Functions and Frequencies of Committees

The table below gives an overview of the function and approximate time commitment of each standing Committee and the Discipline Committee. 

Name of Committee  Summary Approx. frequency of meetings
Executive Committee Deals with matters requiring immediate attention between Board meetings. Has significant co-ordination function and receives and studies reports from committees before forwarding them to the Board for action. Four times a year
Finance and Audit Committee Oversees the financial and physical assets of the College. It sets and recommends to the Board the annual operating and capital budget. Three times a year
Governance Committee Determines the competencies the Board will be seeking in the coming election and implements the succession strategy for the Chair, Vice Chair and Executive Committee positions. Recommends the slate of appointees for the Board’s consideration. Oversees orientation, training and evaluation of the Directors and Board. Three to five times a year
Screening Committee Administers the process for screening applicants to be qualified as candidates for the Board. Reviews applications and recommend applicants to be appointed as Professional Committee Appointees or Lay Committee Appointees. Two to three times a year
Discipline Committee Panels of the Committee hear allegations of professional or proprietary misconduct Annual commitment for Discipline Panels is between 15 and 30 days per year for Elected Directors.

 

*The Discipline Committee operates using panels comprising interchanging committee appointees. Note that for the Discipline Committee, contested hearings may require multiple-day attendance i.e., between 3-5 days at a time. 

Elected Pharmacists & Pharmacy Technicians

The College’s Board of Directors comprises seven elected pharmacists and two elected pharmacy technicians. Each year the Board holds elections on the first Wednesday in August. The term of office for elected members is three years with a maximum of six consecutive years. 

Registrants elected prior to 2020 who have served continuously since that time are eligible to complete three (3) consecutive three (3) year terms for a total of nine (9) years. 

Elected Board Directors must hold a valid certificate of registration as a pharmacist or pharmacy technician in Ontario and be a registrant in good standing with the College. Every registrant of the College who is a resident of Ontario and has paid their annual fee qualifies to vote in elections. 

The Board elects a Chair and Vice Chair from among its members and hires a Registrar who is the Chief Executive Officer of the College. The Registrar oversees the day-to-day work and staff of the College. 

Public Directors

Public Directors are appointed by the Lieutenant Governor of Ontario. As a rule, appointments are for a three-year term. There may also be an opportunity to renew the appointment. Public appointees are expected to serve between 50 and 100 days per year. More information about the appointment process is available through the Public Appointments Secretariat. 

Professional Committee Appointees

Professional Committee Appointees are registrants who apply to sit on Committees and are not elected to the Board of Directors. The College will begin recruiting practitioners who wish to be considered for appointment as a professional committee appointee in June and details will follow. 

Lay Committee Appointees

Lay Committee Appointees are non-registrants who apply to sit on Committees and are not elected or appointed to the Board of Directors. The College will begin recruiting those who wish to be considered for appointment as a lay committee appointee in June and details will follow.