Election Process

Interested in bringing self-regulation to life and contributing to the future of pharmacy through a public interest and protection lens? The deadline to apply to run for election to the OCP Board is fast approaching!

An election for the 2023-2024 Board of Directors for the Ontario College of Pharmacists will be held on August 2, 2023, and applications are now open.

The College is accepting applications for the following positions up for election this year:

  • two (2) Pharmacist positions and
  • one (1) Pharmacy Technician position
Application Deadline

Applications are open between May 8 and May 26, 2023.

Please read the FAQs below for additional information.

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 – 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.

Board meetings are generally held four times per year at the College – September, December, March, and June. Meetings are usually one or one-and-a-half days and are open to the public.

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. The Board approves committee appointments 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 between 15 and 30 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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APPLY VIA THE OCP RECRUITMENT PAGE

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 on the OCP Recruitment Website. Please note that you must review the 2023 Director Profile, complete and upload the application form found on the OCP Recruitment webpage and other requested documents stated within the Directors Profile for your application to be eligible. Once an application has been submitted, candidates will be screened according to the process outlined in the Director Profile. The deadline for applying is May 26, 2023.

Election Date and Voting

Voting will be open starting July 12, 2023 and will close at 5 p.m. on August 2, 2023. Registrant voting will be completed via a secure web-based system.

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.

Questions

If you have questions, you may contact the College at boardelections@ocpinfo.com. Please, visit the Elections page on the OCP website for FAQs on the elections process.

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 comprised by 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 is composed of 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.