MERGER
ULStEr chEmIStS’ aSSocIatIon
Slow but steady progress in merger
aS thE nEgotIatIonS on thE ULStEr chEmIStS’ aSSocIatIon/commUnItY PharmacY northErn IrELanD mErgEr contInUE, tWo of thE nEgotIatorS – Dr tErrY magUIrE anD cLIff mcELhInnEY – DIScUSS thE BacKgroUnD to thE mErgEr anD StrESS thE rEaSonS WhY It haS to WorK!
W
hen Ulster chemists’ association (Uca) President, cliff
mcElhinney, announced at January’s Uca President’s Ball that the organisation was to merge with community Pharmacy northern Ireland (cPnI), it was the result of discussions that had first taken place almost seven years before.
Dr terry maguire was one of those involved in advising the association on its future direction.
‘In 2011,’ terry told Pif, ‘there had been critical discussions between Uca and cPnI with regard to a potential joint venture. at that time, the outcome of these discussions had been somewhat vague and so the issue was effectively ‘parked’.
‘the Uca had asked me to develop a paper of options for the organisation but, once the national Pharmacy
6 - PharmacY In focUS
association parted company with the Uca, the issue became much more pressing. my paper was intended to stimulate conversation and was primarily focussed on options that would help to not only retain Uca membership, but to increase it.
‘falling membership had been a major concern for the Uca for some time, but the organisation wasn’t alone in having problems in this regard. at the same time, the royal Pharmaceutical Society of great Britain (rPSgB) was struggling to maintain its membership, while in canada and new zealand, the pharmaceutical societies were experiencing problems in attracting members. this is a common problem when a society becomes a voluntary organisation – membership tends to fall off.
‘While the Uca was able to attract independents, the multiples – both
indigenous and national – were not members, and so it was clear that an in-depth strategy was required. It was a matter of trying to encourage non- contractors to sign up, but over the previous few years, it had become clear that various initiatives designed to do this were not working. as a result, the income stream was very much affected. my paper therefore suggested three possible options: to close the door, to push through strategy further by forming a relationship with either the rPSgB or the forum, or to revisit the failed strategy of 2011 with cPnI.
‘the Uca Executive committee discussed my paper in detail and I also spoke with cPnI members, who had not been involved in the 2011 discussions, to ascertain the level of interest in this proposal. I received a very encouraging response and so the Executive decided to go for that option. representatives from both
bodies then met to discuss what was possible and what was not possible, and we came up with this new, current model. as a result, the process really got moving in august/September of last year.
‘having held initial discussions, we began at that point to really drill down into the detail. as in any process like this, this is the stage where difficulties can occur, but they certainly are not insurmountable.
‘one of the main challenges, for example, is to get the staffing complement correct for a new organisation. We need to look after existing staff and to deal with practicalities such as location.
‘I’m delighted to say that there is certainly agreement on how the three-year transitional process is working. as a Uca negotiator, my main concern is to protect the >
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