Antimicrobial Expert Advisory Group Terms of Reference

October 2018

Overview

The Antimicrobial Expert Advisory Group (AmEAG) provides a source of expertise on antimicrobial stewardship, resistance, infection prevention and management and related issues which impact on the pharmacy profession and the public.

The group serves as a consultative group to the Boards of the Royal Pharmaceutical Society (RPS), acting as a source of expertise and advice and providing evidenced-based thought leadership to inform RPS policy decisions and advice to government and other organisations.

The AmEAG works closely with RPS Boards and other groups, providing expertise and advice on antimicrobial matters and ensuring the work of the groups is aligned.

The main aim of the AmEAG is to provide expert knowledge and leadership to the RPS and its members in antimicrobial stewardship and infection management and this will be achieved by constituting an empowered and representative network of experts across all relevant backgrounds to:

  • Advise the RPS on relevant national and international matters
  • Support the RPS with acting as a conduit for requests for advice, expertise, input and comment from government and other organisations
  • Where agreed, represent the RPS by providing expertise and leadership opinion aligned with RPS policy (where relevant). This may include attending meetings or acting as a media spokesperson
  • Provide a cohesive, strategic forum to ensure pharmacy is able to input and shape key policies and innovation around relevant matters
  • Provide a confidential forum for sharing intelligence, in order to support and inform those engaged in similar projects and work streams
  • Ensure a joined up approach across RPS and the profession, including existing RPS groups, partners and relevant external organisations
  • Support RPS in engaging all pharmacists and pharmacy teams in optimising use of antimicrobials to contribute to the AMR National Action Plan 2019-2024 and the 20-year Strategy
  • Support the RPS with the development of relevant services and resources to support the membership and the profession, including training programmes, events, webinars, quick reference guides, toolkits, etc.

Deliverables / Outcomes

For RPS and its membership

  • Promote excellence in antimicrobial stewardship, infection prevention and infection management through sharing innovation and best practice through the RPS and collaboration with other Royal Colleges
  • Support the RPS and the profession with engagement and networking with other relevant organisations impacting on antimicrobials including regulators, Royal Colleges, partnership and specialist groups
  • Communicate the work of the group to internal and external stakeholders.
  • Work with other RPS groups and partner groups to align activity and support the delivery of outcomes across all sectors of practice
  • Draw on evidence to deliver expert strategic vision to the RPS boards on antimicrobial issues affecting pharmacists and the wider pharmacy workforce
  • Offer perspective to public relations and advocacy campaigns on antimicrobial matters for RPS.
  • Encourage membership of the RPS across the pharmacy workforce and healthcare interfaces
  • Support the RPS Faculty and Foundation work streams, through supporting and leading professional development within the specialty area of antimicrobial stewardship.

Engaging with other partner organisations

  • Contribute to coherent professional responses to consultations and emergent issues on antimicrobials across England, Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland
  • Facilitate the building of broad disciplinary and multidisciplinary expertise around antimicrobials, and partnerships among specialists and generalists
  • Promote co-ordination on education and training on antimicrobials among industry, voluntary or public sector organisations
  • Promote antimicrobial-related science, research and innovation activity in order to be responsive to the needs of end users in higher education, business and industry.

Member Specification

Membership of the group is based on an individual’s own professional experience rather than them being representative of another group or their organisation. As such, the group will be constituted to ensure that individual members have a wide breadth of experience as much as possible and includes representatives from each of the 4 UK nations and from key organisations working in the specialist area. RPS has ultimate responsibility for the constitution of the group. Members of the group will:

  • Be nationally and ideally internationally recognised as an expert in antimicrobials (nominees should be at the forefront of antimicrobial expertise from all sectors)
  • Have a high level of involvement in institutional roles and professional organisations
  • Have a high professional standing and reputation. It is desirable that members have been recognised by the RPS Faculty or are working towards recognition
  • Possess a broad knowledge and expertise in antimicrobial pharmacy and/or multidisciplinary experience and expertise
  • Have a high level of organisational leadership and management skills
  • Be a member of the RPS. Members of the group are expected to conform to the RPS code of conduct for members of governance bodies as well as codes applicable to their respective disciplines and institutions. Members should not be a member of any other RPS Advisory Group
  • Members will be expected to declare any conflicts of interest, and to act in an open and transparent manner without undue influence.

Time demands / Ways of Working

  • The group will typically meet formally face-to-face twice a year. Additional meetings where required can be conducted via webinar
  • The Chair, working with relevant RPS staff, is responsible for reporting the activities and deliverables of the group to the three RPS national Boards, the Science and Research Board and the RPS Assembly. Conversely, relevant RPS Boards and Groups’ meeting notes will be shared with the AmEAG to inform activities
  • Communicating the work of the group to the profession and more widely is essential.
  • The Chair will have additional duties including teleconferences with the RPS, leading the agreed work streams, drafting relevant papers and agenda setting
  • The majority of interactions will be virtual, by email or through online networks
  • Members will be expected to declare any interests that may be a conflict to the work underway
  • Members will be expected to attend a minimum of 50% of meetings – there are two face-to-face meetings and 12 teleconferences per year
  • Members will be expected to respond to consultation requests, endorsements, government inquiries and other similar activities.

Confidentiality

In order to support the agreed aim of information sharing, members of the group will treat information they receive throughout the process of sharing good practice as confidential. Members of the groups will also have a duty to protect other confidential and/or sensitive information relating to the work of the RPS and advisory group.Information will not be disclosed until it has been agreed by the RPS as appropriate for public circulation.

Terms of Office

The term for members to sit on the group is three years. This is renewable and members will be asked if they wish to remain on the group for a second 3-year term. It is expected that if a member no longer meets the members’ specifications, e.g. their role changes, that they would step down.

Composition

The composition of the AmEAG should reflect the different interests, aspects and structure of the RPS and its individual members as well as regional and country interests. The group will be constituted to ensure that individual members have a wide breadth of experience as much as possible.

Chair

The position of Chair is held for a maximum period of three years. The election of the Chair will be held at the last formal meeting of the Chair’s term of office.

A member standing for Chair should declare any actual or potential conflicts of interest. It is widely accepted that professional experts will be asked to sit on various committees and groups nationally and internationally and that such external recognition would not preclude appointment to Chair of the AmEAG.

Election Process

  • Candidates for the position of Chair should be nominated by a member of the AmEAG and can include self-nominations, with the support of two other members
  • All nominations must be received in writing (email) by the RPS admin support team, in response to a call for nominations within 10 working days
  • Candidates for the position of Chair are required to provide a biography and a statement of not more than 500 words outlining how they meet the requirements of the post. This must be received by the deadline specified for nominations
  • Nominations will be collated by the RPS admin support team and sent to the group for confidential and anonymous voting
  • In the event that there is only one candidate nominated for any post, the group will be asked to affirm that the person is duly elected
  • The voting shall be reported in the meeting minutes and reported to the RPS Assembly.

Other

RPS Staff Support

Appropriate RPS staff will attend meetings to support the work of the AmEAG, including:

  • RPS Chief Scientist and/or other team members
  • RPS Director for Education and Professional Development and/or other team members
  • RPS Administrator
  • Other RPS staff and invited guests as required.

Reimbursement

Travel expenses up to the level of the standard class ticket bought on the day of travel will be reimbursed when the RPS requires support from the AmEAG or individual members. If significant resource is required for particular pieces of work then additional funding would need to be identified.