The Pharmaceutical Care Network Europe (PCNE) was established in 1994 and it became an official association (under Dutch law) in 2004.
Pharmaceutical Care is the pharmacist's contribution to the care of individuals, in order to optimize medicines use and improve health outcomes.
There are four categories of PCNE membership:
Members from the first two categories have voting rights. In the case of institutional members, only the representative person has a voting right. Observers don’t have a voting right.
The membership of PCNE is open to any person or institution that fulfills the following criteria:
a) Does pharmaceutical care research and/or implementation and/or implementation research.
b) Has attended in the past at least one PCNE conference or symposium in person.
c) Willing to attend PCNE conferences or symposia, General Assemblies (GA) and other PCNE events.
d) Relationship with the industry must be completely transparent
Screening by the board and Letter of Intent
After a screening by the board, candidates for membership must sign a Letter of Intent. This letter basically is a document that stresses the fair relationships between all members, and the respect for the intellectual ownership of projects, methods and studies. Later, they need to present in person their pharmaceutical care related work to the General Assembly as well as a provable interest in participating actively in PCNE events (point a -c described above). The members in the General Assembly then decide if the candidate can be a member according to the candidate’s presentation, activities in the field of pharmaceutical care and open discussion.
Currently, membership of PCNE is free and no fees are requested. But the repeated attendance to the PCNE events is expected. However, the bylaws enable to request contributions. The amount of which is determined by the general assembly.
The benefits of membership
Members can participate in PCNE projects, working groups such as the DRP-classification, Medication Review, Guidelines and Indicators, Adherence or other future working groups and other PCNE activities. All members and the representatives of institutions are registered in the mailing list of PCNE and they receive regularly the Newsletter and other important information according to the communications strategy defined by the board and approved by the GA. Members of an institution that is a PCNE member can ask for being registered on the mailing list.
During PCNE events, PCNE members can share and discuss their pharmaceutical care related projects in the so called 'Soapbox', and ask for, or get advice. They can also open their projects for participation by other members and countries. Members can also ask the board for announcement of their work by email to all members, or in the Newsletter.
(Version approved by the board on 05-04-2023)
