AFSPA is managed by a Board and an Executive Director. The Board is made up of representatives of member Friendly Societies and is elected annually at the AGM. The current Board members are:
INTERIM PRESIDENT: Mark Boyd, AFS Health Services
EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR: Claire Leonard
DIRECTOR: Ed Kremzer, Hobart FS Dispensary
DIRECTOR: Nick Salkeld, Community Care Chemist
DIRECTOR: Chiara Farrell, Warwick Friendly Society Association
DIRECTOR: James Bannerman, Dalby & District FS Dispensary
AFSPA Constitution and Structure
At the AGM in September 2022, AFSPA members voted to move the Association governance and structure from a South Australian Incorporated Association to an ASIC registered Company Limited by Guarantee .
This change has modernised the AFSPA structure, allowed for independent and skills based directors and established an Associate Member category for Friendly Societies who do not currently own a pharmacy and not-for-profit community pharmacies not owned by Friendly Societies.
Representation in the Mutual Sector
AFSPA is a member of the Business Council of Cooperatives and Mutuals (BCCM), the national peak body representing the co-operative and mutual models of enterprise. It is the only organisation uniting the entire and diverse range of member owned businesses.
Formed in 2013, the BCCM is a powerful and informed voice in the business community. Led by the chief executives of Australia’s co-operative and mutual businesses, the BCCM brings together the sector of businesses owned by members or formed to benefit members, with the common objective of increasing awareness of these models of enterprise.
With an estimated 1700 co-operative and mutual businesses operating nationally representing a total of 14.8 million memberships, the BCCM through its members, highlights the contribution co-operatives and mutuals make to the national economy and social development in Australia.
Working with the Pharmacy Guild
From 2009-2020, AFSPA had a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) with the Pharmacy Guild. The Guild has been recognised as the official negotiating body for the Community Pharmacy Agreements with the Australian Commonwealth Government. The MOU demonstrated AFSPA’s support for the Guild’s commitment to obtain the best possible outcomes for all community pharmacies.
In 2020 the MOU became a Partnership Agreement, reinforcing the intent that the Guild will work on behalf of all community pharmacy and also enabling AFSPA members to access a range of Guild resources and professional programs that benefit both business and professional development.