Chairs for NCPA's committees on Tuesday updated attendees on credentialing, compounding, developing opportunities, long-term care, federal and state legislation and government affairs, technology, and resolutions.
The NCPA House of Delegates also discussed proposed changes to its bylaws, which were adopted on Oct. 27, 2011, as raised by a bylaws committee appointed by then-President Hugh Chancy and approved by the NCPA Board of Directors late last year. The bylaws committee members included Brad Arthur, Michele Belcher, Joe Harmison, Bill Osborn, Kristen Riddle, and Christian Tadrus.
Proposed changes to the bylaws discussed this year are included below, which enter an amendment process that concludes with a vote at the 2024 House of Delegates meeting. (And, be on the lookout for a bylaws Q+A, hosted by NCPA, in the future.)
In Article 2, which pertains to the "Purpose" of NCPA, the Bylaws Committee proposed changes to clarify the language in this article in general, as well as specifically change the purpose of the association to include defining what qualifies as a "community pharmacy," what related businesses NCPA supports, and to assure quality, equity, and fairness in compensation and access to markets and patients.
In Article 3, which pertains to NCPA "Membership," the Bylaws Committee proposed changes to remove non-voting members from being identified in the bylaws and to instead allow the Board to establish non-voting categories of members, such as corporate partners, through Board resolution. The thought is that this will allow the association to be more agile in meeting the needs of the marketplace of potential members; it will also clearly signal to regulators and legislators who the organization represents. The Committee also proposes cleaning up the definition of who may qualify as voting members, which are those members who can qualify to become delegates at the House of Delegates.
In Article 4, pertaining to NCPA's "Governing Body," the Bylaws Committee proposed clarifying edits, edits to ensure the Board can fully exercise its fiduciary duties and to require any candidate to the Board have all majority-owned licensed retail pharmacies or practice sites registered as members. They propose removal of references to an annual convention, instead referring to a House of Delegates. This will allow for greater flexibility in case a convention cannot be held due to circumstances not under the association's control. Edits were also made to explicitly allow for electronic meetings of the House of Delegates, again for reasons associated with uncontrollable circumstances. The Committee also proposes language to allow for the removal of a Board member that is consistent with Virginia law, the state where NCPA is incorporated.
In Article 5, pertaining to NCPA's "Board Officers, Staff Positions and Other Elected Positions," the Committee is recommending language to clarify staff positions, such as the CEO and Corporate Secretary, while also removing the Board Officer Secretary position. This will reflect current practices. Edits were also presented for overall clarity and to clarify eligibility for Vice Presidents, their term, and removal.
Articles 6, 7, and 9 are primarily edits to complement prior edits and are made for clarity. There were no proposed changes to Article 8, Dues.
Article 10, pertaining to "Meetings; Delegate Selection," proposed changes reflect an effort to focus on the House of Delegates rather than an annual convention. The proposed changes also reflect current practices for accrediting delegates to the House of Delegates.
Finally, in Article 11, pertaining to "Amendments," the Committee is proposing to change the timeframe for amending bylaws from 2 years to 1 year following a series of approvals from the Board and the Bylaws Committee.
