Election Process

2020-2021 Board of Directors Election

An election for the 2020-2021 Board of Directors (Council) for the Ontario College of Pharmacists will be held on November 2, 2020. This date was established following postponement of the original election date earlier this year due to the state of emergency declared by the provincial government in response to the COVID-19 pandemic.

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 – share a fiduciary duty to serve and protect the public interest through effective governance and a commitment to public accountability and service.

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 2020 Director Profile, College By-Law, and Governance Manual prior to submitting their application.   The deadline to apply is August 14, 2020 at 5:00pm.

Election Documents

 

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 Chair and 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. Two to three 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 can be between 10 and 30 days per year.

Approx. 100 pre-hearing meetings and 35 hearings a year are heard by panels*; plus two meetings a year of the full committee

*The Discipline Committee operates using panels comprised by interchanging committee members. Note that for the Discipline Committee, contested hearings may require multiple-day attendance i.e. between 3-5 days at a time. Each panel must have at least three members, two of whom must be public members.

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Elected Pharmacists & Pharmacy Technicians

The College’s Board of Directors is composed of 7 elected pharmacists and two elected pharmacy technicians. Each year the Board holds elections on the first Wednesday in August (the 2020 election was delayed until November due to the pandemic). The term of office for elected members is three years with a maximum of six consecutive years.

Elected Board Directors must hold a valid certificate of registration as a pharmacist or pharmacy technician in Ontario and be a member 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. Information about how to vote is sent out to registrants of the College each June.

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 general 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 eight and 45 days per year. More information about the appointment process is available through the Public Appointments Secretariat.

Professional Committee Appointees (Non-Council Committee Members)

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 September and details will follow.

Lay Committee Appointees (Non-Council Committee Members)

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 September and details will follow.

Approval of By-Law Amendment and Postponement of Board (Council) Elections

At a special meeting held on April 22, the Board (Council) of the College approved an amendment to By-Law No.6 allowing changes to the timing of the Board elections (which had originally been tied to specific dates) in response to external influences such as a state of emergency.