United Kingdom Medicines Information (UKMi) Executive Terms of Reference

Purpose

  • Provide strategic leadership and coordination to the UKMi network.
  • Provide support to the UKMI sub groups in the delivery of their objectives 

Roles & Responsibilities

  • To provide professional leadership to the UKMi network.
  • Implement the strategic plan for the UKMi network in the NHS.
  • To develop, monitor and review a yearly work plan.
  • To review regular updates and proposals from the UKMi sub groups and delegate work as necessary.
  • To receive regular updates on the status of the UKMi network funds and oversee/approve their appropriate use.
  • To develop and maintain relations with appropriate professional groups/organisations

Membership

  • Chair, Vice-Chair, Professional Secretary and Treasurer.
  • Chairs or nominated deputy from each of the UKMi sub groups.
  • UKMi Executive shall be composed of a diverse group of individuals that reflect the many different Medicines Information and Advice services across the UK.
  • A Chair, Vice-Chair, Professional Secretary and Treasurer will be appointed from the Exec membership, each for a period of two years. These periods may be extended in exceptional circumstances by up to 6 months with a consensus agreement from the executive. 
  • The Treasurer will have responsibility for the financial resources of the network.
  • Election of officers (excluding the representatives from the sub groups) will be by nominations from UKMi Executive members followed, if more than one nomination is received, by a simple majority vote of attending members at a convenient meeting. A quorum for this action will be 60% of full members at the time of voting.

Criteria for Membership

  • Pharmacy professional working in an NHS medicines information and advice service.
  • Extensive experience in providing a medicines information and advice service.

Meetings

  • The UKMi Executive will meet virtually on a monthly basis and in person prior to the annual conference. Members are expected to attend each meeting (attendance rate of 75% minimum). Members may nominate a deputy if they cannot attend. Deputies will be expected to fulfil the role of the UKMi Executive member and will have full decision-making responsibilities.
  • Members who have any personal interests in any matters under discussion should declare them at the beginning of the meeting. The Chair will determine whether the member should withdraw from the discussion and/or any decision making concerning that matter. 
  • A log of actions will be recorded for each meeting.

Accountability

  • The UKMi Executive is not a legal entity in its own right. Each member is accountable to their individual employer, their commissioner and their constituent network.

UKMi Sub groups

  • UKMI Sub Groups are established from the wider UKMi network and are represented on the Exec by their Chairs or nominated deputy. 
  • Additional representatives can be co-opted from the wider UKMi Network and other bodies as and when required. Currently, the following UKMi Sub Groups are as follows:
    • Quality & Risk Management Group
    • Workforce Development Working Group
    • Technology & Innovation Group
    • Communication Group
  • In addition to these standing Sub Groups, further Task and Finish Groups may be constituted by the UKMi Executive as appropriate.
  • Sub groups and Task and Finish Groups will have a defined purpose agreed, report to the UKMi Executive, and should be represented on the Exec by their Chair or nominated deputy.

Decision making

  • All UKMi Executive members must commit to regular attendance (minimum 75%) at meetings, as continuity and balanced input into decision-making is of utmost importance. Deputies will be expected to fulfil the role of the UKMi Executive member, should be fully briefed and will have full decision-making responsibility.
  • Open, honest, challenging and respectful debate is encouraged at meetings. Decisions should wherever possible be reached by consensus. Where consensus is not possible, decisions will be taken by majority agreement. Once a decision has been reached, a corporate view will be presented and maintained by all Executive members. 
  • All UKMi Executive and Sub Group members will complete an annual Declaration of Interest and commit to updating throughout each 12-month period if required.  The UKMI Professional Secretary will hold this information, make available to relevant Chairs and ensure declarations are submitted.

Quoracy

  • A quorum of two-thirds of members is required for decision making. To enable progress to be maintained, should an individual meeting not be quorate, proposed decisions can be shared with all UKMi Executive members after the meeting for agreement before the next meeting.

Information Sharing

  • A log of actions will be recorded at each meeting of UKMi Exec and shared with the UKMi Executive as soon as reasonably possible after the meeting. 
  • Summaries of agreed key information for sharing will be produced by the UKMi Executive and UKMI Sub Groups when appropriate for sharing with the wider network. 
  • UKMi Executive will keep members of the wider UKMi Network and stakeholders informed of key developments through a variety of communication avenues supported by the UKMI Communications group.

Last Reviewed: March 2024