The Pharmacy Forum is pleased to support the Commonwealth Pharmacists Association, their objectives are to promote and disseminate the pharmaceutical sciences throughout the Commonwealth and to improve the quality and range of services offered there by professional pharmacists.
JOIN THE CPA – MORE THAN JUST BELONGING
The Commonwealth, which covers a quarter of the earth’s landmass, is home to approximately one-third of the world’s population, half of whom are under the age of 25. Most of the 54 countries of the Commonwealth are in the developing world and these nations bear a heavy burden of disease including 60% of global HIV/Aids cases, 40% of infant deaths and 90% of pregnancy related deaths of women.
For over 40 years the CPA has worked to establish, develop and maintain the highest possible professional standards of pharmacy throughout the Commonwealth. Working collaboratively, it supports the achievement of the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) set by United Nations which seek to reduce child mortality, improve mental health and combat HIV/AIDS, TB, malaria and other diseases. It lobbies for the appropriate use of pharmacists and their staff and their inclusion in planning and policy-making at all levels to help governments to achieve these goals. Specifically, it seeks to support pharmacists in improving the health and welfare of the populations they serve.
Membership is open to:
- national professional pharmaceutical organisations of Commonwealth countries
- individual registered pharmacists working in or from Commonwealth countries
- pharmacy students from the Commonwealth
Membership confers a number of benefits:
- Advocacy – support to national organisations in their negotiations/deliberations with government and has a proven record of beneficial outcomes in this area.
- Networking – the opportunity to engage with international pharmacy practice and international practice placements or study
- Access to a dedicated members’ area within its website and soon to be introduced online resource articles and accredited education and training courses as well as discounts from the Pharmaceutical Press. CPA also makes annual donations of the BNF to member organisations and is practical way that UK health professions contribute to the quality of therapeutic care in developing countries.
- Promoting Professional Organisations – CPA support on regional projects, workshops and seminars can help strengthen and promote the profession and enhance the role of organisations within national health infrastructures.
- Representation – of pharmaceutical interests in international and Commonwealth forums. CPA is an accredited body with, for example WHO and the Commonwealth Association.
Being part of CPA is different from many other organisations in that it is not simply about personal benefits. Your membership is important in supporting CPA’s work across the Commonwealth, but also offering, where you can, your knowledge and expertise to colleagues, especially those in less developed situations. So it is not simply what you can gain from membership but what you can also give and share with others from your experience.
So we would greatly value your continued/new membership of the Association and indeed your encouragement to your colleagues to join as individual members. Our personal membership fees are very modest to accommodate the variety of economic situations across the Commonwealth and if you would like to contribute more that would be much appreciated.
Whether you live and work in country with a small or large pharmacist population, whether you live in a developed or developing nation or whether you practice at the forefront of the profession or in relative obscurity, we want you to be part of CPA. We are stronger together than we are on our own. So may I again encourage you to consider personal membership of the CPA.
Your Annual Retention Form allows you to join or renew your membership and also provides an opportunity to make a donation to CPA. The Pharmaceutical Society NI has kindly agreed to collect membership fees and any donations and pass these along with donor details to CPA. Annual membership of the Commonwealth Pharmacists Association is £15 sterling per year (FREE to students). Alternatively you can renew your membership or enrol directly on the CPA website