The Royal Pharmaceutical Society (RPS) is investigating allegations that former Royal Pharmaceutical Society of Great Britain president Steve Churton used his Twitter account to bully and harass a candidate running for election to the English Pharmacy Board this year. 

Hala Jawad, who has worked as a community and GP pharmacist, complained to the RPS about Churton’s alleged conduct which she said took place on the social media platform as she ran for election. 

She initially contacted the RPS with her concerns on September 4 but the professional leadership body passed her complaint to the General Pharmaceutical Council (GPhC) despite the fact Churton is not on the GPhC register.

The RPS informed Jawad on October 2 that the regulator would not look at the case and that it had been forwarded to the Society’s membership conduct panel.

Jawad, who said she wanted to “build more decorum and better etiquette on online forums,” told ICP she has not heard back from the panel and did not know when they would respond.

“It’s at the conduct panel with the RPS so no response yet on the progress. The RPS haven’t given me yet a time frame,” she said.

When contacted by ICP, the RPS said: “Any complaint concerning conduct is referred to the General Pharmaceutical Council and to our membership committee.

“This follows an agreed process in order to consider any allegations in detail before taking a decision. Complaints are very rare but when received are treated confidentially in order to protect the privacy of all individuals concerned, whether they are the complainant or the subject of a complaint. We are therefore unable to provide further information.”

Churton (pictured), an RPS Fellow and vice-chair of West Leicestershire Clinical Commissioning Group, did not respond when contacted by ICP.