Constitution

Creighton University

National Community Pharmacists Association (NCPA)

ARTICLE I – NAME

The name of this organization shall be the Creighton University National Community Pharmacists Association Student Chapter, hereafter referred to as the Organization.

ARTICLE II – PURPOSE

The purpose of the organization shall be:

1. To promote pharmacy as a profession and the role of the independent

retail pharmacy in the American healthcare system.

2. To maintain and expand educational programs, to strengthen

members’ professional and business ability, and to encourage schools

of pharmacy to place emphasis on the practical realities of modern retail practice.

3. To provide effective support and sponsorship of programs to

encourage careers in retail pharmacy.

4. To exchange information among health professions to promote mutual

understanding in areas affecting the practice and education of these

health professions.

5. To educate the lay public on the proper use of both prescription and

nonprescription drugs and on the pharmacist’s role in safe and

effective drug counseling, therapy, and administration.

ARTICLE III – MEMBERSHIP

Section 1

Regular membership in this organization shall be open to any student that is in good standing and currently enrolled in an accredited college of pharmacy.

Section 2

Members may be subject to disciplinary review by the Executive Committee for:

a. Non-payment of association dues or assessments,

b. Conviction of a felony,

c. Suspension from the college of pharmacy, placement on

academic probation, or poor academic standing.

Section 3

Annual dues of the organization shall be paid to the national office, plus an additional charge assessed by the individual chapter to cover its expenses. Dues shall be kept in a competitive range with other organizations and may be changed upon the election of new officers if the new Executive Committee warrants this change.

ARTICLE IV – EXECUTIVE COMMITTEE OFFICERS

Section1

Officers of the organization shall be as follows, in order of rank:

1. President

2. Vice-President

3. Secretary

4. Treasurer

5. Pharmacy and Health Professions Student Government

Representative

6. Non-Voting Moderator/Faculty Advisor

7. Committee Chairpersons

Section 2 - Election of Officers

Officers of the organization, excluding the faculty advisor and committee chairpersons, shall be elected annually during a spring semester organizational meeting by a majority vote as defined in Article V, Section 2 of the following procedure. The date of the election meeting will be determined by the executive committee. The elections must occur before the last meeting of the spring semester.

a. The current Vice-President will contact all active members at least two weeks prior to the election meeting to seek nominations for the elected offices.

b. During the election meeting a ballot will be distributed to those members in attendance and/or balloting will be conducted electronically. The vice-president will be present at this meeting to collect and tally the ballots. He or she will tabulate the ballots and announce the results.

c. A plurality vote will be required to elect and officer.

d. If the Vice-President is running for an office, the next executive committee member in rank who is not a nominee for that office will oversee and tally the ballots for the election of that office.

e. Members who are either in their fourth year of the pharmacy program or distance pathway members will have the option to vote by proxy, fax or e-mail in advance of the election meeting based on nominee information placed on the website. They would not be able to vote on members running from the floor. The Vice President will set a cutoff time for votes to be received and counted by email or facsimile.

Section 3

Officers shall take office the next executive meeting following elections and shall serve for a period of one year.

Section 4

Officers shall not be on academic or disciplinary probation at the time of their elections and throughout their terms in office. Officers must possess a 2.5 cumulative QPA or its equivalent and maintain a minimum of 2.5 QPA or its equivalent to serve during their tenure.

Section 5 - Impeachment of Officers

Officers may be removed from office if it is in the best interest of the organization. Removal of an officer can be brought to a vote by the membership after 20% of the members’ signatures are collected to call for such a vote. A vote will then be scheduled by the Executive Committee within 20 days of receipt of the removal requesting signatures. A 60% majority of the current membership must be present for a removal vote, not including members in their fourth year of the pharmacy program and members in the distance pathway. Removal from office shall require a 50% majority vote.

Section 6 - Immediate Replacement of Officers Unable to Fulfill Their Position

a. In the event any NCPA Officer (except the President)

cannot fulfill the obligations of the office, the vacated

office shall be filled at or before the next NCPA meeting

with a new Officer appointed by the President. Upon

accepting the position, the appointee will take office

immediately.

b. In the event the President cannot fulfill the obligations of

the office, the Vice President shall immediately assume

the responsibilities of NCPA President. The office of Vice

President will then be filled in the manner dictated in

Article IV, Section 6, part a.

c. In the event the offices of both President and Vice

President are concurrently vacant, the NCPA executive

with the highest rank according to Article IV, Section 1 will call for and preside over a general election. The election shall be conducted with 60% of the current membership present, not including members in their fourth year of the pharmacy program and distance pathway members. Nominations will be collected from the general membership. Ballots will be distributed to the general membership and collected and tallied by a faculty member present. He or she will tabulate the ballots and announce the results.

Section 7 - Duties of Officers

1. President- It shall be the duty of the president to preside at all meetings, to call special meetings, and to perform other duties of the chapter as customarily pertain to the office of president. He/she must co-sign checks. He/she should also keep the president’s binder up-to-date with the latest chapter proceedings and information from the national association.

2. Vice-president- It shall be the duty of the vice-president to assist the president in all of the activities and duties previously listed, and to assume the duties of the president in his or her absence, dismissal, or resignation from the chapter or the college of pharmacy. The vice-president shall also organize and oversee all committee activities and spring elections. In addition, it will be the duty of the vice-president to be informed of the details of the upcoming NCPA Annual Convention and Legislative Conference, as listed on the national website. The vice president is to encourage students and faculty to attendance of these events and organize the chapter delegations to these events.

3. Secretary- The secretary shall conduct all official correspondence under the direction of the president. The secretary shall keep a record of the minutes of each meeting of the organization in the secretary binder and submit this record to the website committee chair to be placed on the chapter website. In addition, the secretary shall maintain a record of all programs, projects, and other related activities of the organization, and submit such records to the National Office. Finally, the secretary shall maintain all records in readily retrievable form, report them to the chapter after each meeting, and perform any other duties assigned and incident to the offices.

4. Treasurer- The treasurer shall maintain all financial records for the organization in readily retrievable form and shall be accountable for all financial transactions within the organization. In addition, it shall also be the responsibility of the treasurer to provide reports on the status of the treasury when called upon to do so by membership and/or the president. He/she must co-sign checks. The treasurer, with the help of the Membership Committee, will also be responsible for organizing and submitting chapter membership forms to the National office.

5. PHPSG Representative- The representative shall represent the chapter in the pharmacy student government deliberations. He/she will give reports to the chapter at each meeting.

ARTICLE V – MEETINGS

Section 1

A regularly scheduled general meeting shall be held at least once a month at such time and place as the President shall determine. The president shall call special meetings at such time and place as the majority of the Executive Committee shall direct or upon request of 20% of the membership.

Section 2

A quorum shall consist of 60% of the current members, not including members in their fourth year of the pharmacy program and distance pathway members. A majority vote shall consist of more than 50% of the attending members.

Section 3

A quorum shall be present in order for any official business to be conducted. The business for the chapter shall be conducted by members who have met the qualifications for membership in Article III, Section 1 of the Constitution.

Section 4

The order of business at any meeting shall be determined by the president, subject to approval of the Executive Committee and Standing Committee chairpersons.

ARTICLE VI – COMMITTEES

The president shall appoint, with the approval of the Executive Committee, the following standing committees and such other committees as he or she may deem necessary. Members shall serve for one calendar year in this capacity or until their successors are appointed by the new president.

1. Fundraising Committee- is responsible for organizing programs for raising money for the chapter.

2. Community Service Committee- is responsible for organizing service events for members that aid the local community.

3. Program Committee- is responsible for scheduling speakers, panels, and programs for the students on campus to enhance their knowledge of pharmacy issues, with a focus on independent community pharmacy issues.

4. Membership Committee- is responsible for organizing and promoting the membership drive at the start of each fall semester under the direction of the treasurer. This committee shall also submit the membership forms to the NCPA National Office in bulk after students have completed them to expedite getting students on the national membership roster.

5. Social Committee- is responsible for planning, promoting, and supervising all social activities and events for the chapter.

6. Public Relations Committee- is responsible for maintaining communication between the executive board, chapter members, and the public regarding upcoming events, meetings, etc. This committee is also responsible for maintaining and updating the chapter bulletin board and trophy case. Finally, this committee is responsible for promoting a relationship with the public in any way possible.

7. Website Committee- is responsible for improving, updating, and providing maintenance to the NCPA website. The website informs members of upcoming events, meetings, and is a source of information pertaining to the NCPA Creighton chapter. Your responsibilities involve making the web site look interesting and appealing to others, adding chapter minutes, links to presentations, updating committee pages, and posting announcements.

8. Newsletter Committee- is responsible for putting together a newsletter reporting on the happenings of each of the other committees and any other information that is pertinent to the chapter. The newsletter is published at least once per semester.

9. Health Fairs Committee- is responsible for:

a. Setting up Health Fairs within the Community

i. Activities may include: Hypertension

Screening/Education, Diabetes Risk Screening/Education, Hyperlipidemia

Education, Brown Bag, etc.

ii. Locations may include: local community

pharmacies, hospital outpatient pharmacy,

assisted living homes, churches, local events,

etc.

b. Ensuring the availability of a Faculty or Community Pharmacist at the Health Fair.

c. Encourage and Educate on the benefits of participating in Health Fairs.

d. The Committee is encouraged to try to organize at least two Health Fairs per semester and one over the summer for web students to participate in while on campus

10. Research Committee- is for those who have innovative ideas about research projects in the area of community pharmacy practice. Funding may be available through the NCPA national website with applications due in the summer before the start of each school year. This is the committee for anyone who wishes to design his/her own project with unlimited potential.

11. Business Plan Committee- is responsible for organizing a group of current NCPA members to create a business plan for the NCPA Pruitt-Schutte Student Business Plan Competition, scheduling meetings, and ensuring the submission of the business plan by the established deadline.

ARTICLE VII – FINANCES

Section 1

Dues shall be determined by the Executive Committee. The chapter may assess dues, within reasonable limits, from its members to cover expenses of operation and activities.

Section 2

If the organization dissolves, all funds left in its financial accounts shall be given to the Pharmacy and Health Professions Student Government to benefit other pharmacy organizations or pharmacy students.

Section 3

In order for the treasurer to withdraw funds from the university account, two signatures are required. The required signatures shall be the president and the treasurer.

Section 4

The fiscal year of the chapter is from September 1^st to August 31^st. A year-end report is due from each chapter by September 10^th to be sent to NCPA National Headquarters.

ARTICLE VIII – PARLIAMENTARY AUTHORITY

The parliamentary authority in all meetings, Executive and General, shall be the current edition of Robert’s Rules of Order, Newly Revised.

ARTICLE IX – AMENDMENTS

Section 1

Prior to being voted upon, all amendments to this constitution require written notice of 8 days.

Section 2

All amendments require a 2/3 vote of a quorum for adoption.

Section 3

Amendments become effective only after approval by the Student Activities Office.

Section 4 - Amendments:

I. September 6, 1994: From this day forth the wording of this document shall be kept consistent by using the word “constitution”. Thus, all “bylaws” shall be stricken from this document and replaced by the word, “constitution”.

II. April 21, 1995: From this date forward the title of President-Elect and all that this position represents shall be voided. To replace this position in our Executive Committee, we have chosen the office of vice-president. This office shall consist of the following: assist the president in all of the activities and duties previously listed in our constitution, and to assume the duties of the president in his or her absence, dismissal, or resignation from the chapter or the college of pharmacy. The vice-president shall also organize and oversee all committee activities. This office term will last one year and voting shall be conducted at the designated time each spring.

III. February 12, 1997: From this date forward the name of this organization shall be the Creighton University Student Chapter of the National Community Pharmacists Association (NCPA) (formerly NARD). Effective immediately, all references in this constitution to NARD, or National Association of Retail Druggists, shall be changed in keeping with the name change by the national organization of the same name.

IV. May 2, 2000: From this date forward elections will take place in the month of January rather than April. The newly elected officers will shadow the current Executive Committee for the rest of the spring semester. They will then take over the Executive Committee the following fall semester for one calendar year. This was done in an effort to ease the transition into the Executive Committee.

V. September 28, 2000: From this date forward all references to the student newsletter, Extracts, shall be changed to The New Independent. This is in keeping with the name change of the student newsletter by the National Community Pharmacists Association.

VI. November 28, 2003: From this date forward all references to the School of Pharmacy and Allied Health Student Government (PASG) shall be changed to the School of Pharmacy and Health Professions Student Government (PHPSG). This is in keeping with the name change of the school of pharmacy in conjunction and affiliation with Creighton University Medical Center.

VII. October 6, 2004: From this date forward Article III Section 3 should not make reference to an exact monetary amount for annual membership dues.

VIII. November 3, 2004: From this date forward, Impeachment of Officers and Immediate Replacement of Officers Unable to Fulfill Their Position shall occur according to procedures set forth in Article IV Sections 5 and 6 respectively.

IX. March 15, 2006: From this date forward, the extracts committee is abolished,

X. March 15, 2006: From this date forward, the membership committee shall be under the direction of the treasurer.

XI. March 15, 2006: From this date forward, the following committees will be added: Business Plan, Public Relations, Research, Social, Health Fairs, and Newsletter

XII. March 15, 2006: From this date forward, the secretary position shall read, “. . . and other related activities of the organization, and submit such records to the National Office.”

XIII. March 15, 2006: From this date forward, the treasurer position shall include, “The treasurer, with the help of the Membership Committee, will also be responsible for organizing and submitting chapter membership forms to the National office.”

XIV. April 12, 2006: The following Committees and descriptions were added to enhance NCPA’s mission on campus:

a. Social

b. Public Relations

c. Website

d. Newsletter

e. Health Fairs

f. Research

g. Business Plan

XV. January 30, 2008: From this date forward, elections may be held during any spring meeting before the last meeting of the semester and can be conducted by paper ballot, electronically, or via facsimile.

XVI. January 30, 2008: From this date forward, a quorum shall not include the distance student and 4^th year student members.

XVII. January 30, 2008: From this date forward, the duties of the Vice-President shall include, “In addition, it will be the duty of the vice-president to be informed of the details of the upcoming NCPA Annual Convention and Legislative Conference, as listed on the national website. The vice president is to encourage students and faculty to attendance of these events and organize the chapter delegations to these events.”

ARTICLE X – GENERAL GUIDELINES

Section 1

The Creighton Chapter may speak or issue statements to NCPA with the written approval of the NCPA Executive Committee.

Section 2

The Constitution of NCPA is binding on the chapter. In the event that the NCPA Constitution conflicts with Creighton University policy and procedure, then policies and procedures of Creighton University shall take precedence.

Section 3

All student chapters must adhere to the NCPA Student Chapter Constitution, but may adopt reasonable amendments to meet their individual needs and requirements. All amendments must be consistent with those of the NCPA Student Chapter Constitution.

Section 4

An NCPA student chapter is identified by the College of Pharmacy where it is located.

Date of Ratification: December 3, 2003

NCPA Mission Statement

● We are dedicated to the continuing growth and prosperity of independent retail pharmacy in the United States.

● We are the national pharmacy association representing the professional and proprietary interests of independent retail pharmacists and will vigorously promote and defend those interests.

● We are committed to high-quality pharmaceutical care and to restoring, maintaining, and promoting the health and well-being of the public we serve.

● We believe in the inherent virtues of the American free enterprise system and will do all we can to ensure the ability of independent retail pharmacists to compete in a free and fair marketplace.

● We value the right to petition the appropriate legislative and regulatory bodies to serve the needs of those we represent.

● We will utilize our resources to achieve these ends in an ethical and socially responsible manner.

● We value an appreciation of ethnic and cultural diversity, community service to others, and the importance of the collective community.

● We, as well as Creighton University, are dedicated to the pursuit of truth in all its forms.