 General Membership GuidelinesIn June of 2006, at the formation of the National Coalition of Pharmaceutical Distributors, each Founding Member was given one board seat representing his/her respective company. From 2006 through 2009 the Board continued to be occupied by its original nine members. As our membership has grown, the Board extended the number of available seats by creating six additional seats. Currently the Board of Directors for NCPD has 15 seats available. MEMBERSHIP LEVELS Founding Members FOUNDING MEMBERS Individual Founding Members, with their respective companies, are eligible for inclusion on the NCPD Board. Five permanent board seats have been created in which only founding member companies; their employees or assignees may sit. Founding Board Members who wish to be eligible for board election must have dues paid to date, adhere to the organizational ethics code and be accepted by the Board as a company or individual with leadership in good standing. Founding Members will continue to occupy the full nine seats until an additional six seats are filled. Once there are 15 board members, Founding Member board seats will be relinquished two at a time. In such a case of a resignation, board seats will be relinquished and filled in odd increments in order to maintain an odd number of total seats. This will eliminate an even number of seats and a stalemate in voting. Seats will be filled by Full/Voting members via the process described below. Each year the original Founding Members will vote in five of its members to sit on the board and represent the Founding Member group. DUES: FULL/VOTING MEMBERS Full/Voting Members have the authority to nominate and vote in representatives to sit on the Board of Directors for NCPD. Full/Voting Members, or nominees, who wish to be eligible for board election, must have dues paid to date, adhere to the organizational ethics code and be accepted by the Executive Committee as a company or individual with leadership in good standing. As NCPD brings on 10 new members holding the status of Full/Voting Membership two new boards seat will be created until the maximum of 15 seats are occupied. Two members will be elected by a vote of their peers within their respective membership level to take board seats. This process will occur each time 10 new Full/Voting Members join. Once the six open seats are filled, the Founding Members will relinquish four of their seats, two at a time. Five seats will always remain for the Founding Members as long as the Founding Members or their appointee is able. Once all 15 seats are occupied, the elected representative will have a seat term of no less than one year and no more than three consecutive years. Each year the seats will be up for election. This process will occur at each annual Board of Directors meeting. DUES ASSOCIATE MEMBERS Associate Members have full membership privileges but do not have voting rights to secure seats on the board or occupy seats on the board. Associate Members must have dues paid to date, adhere to the organizational ethics code and be accepted by the Executive Committees as a company or individual with leadership in good standing. DUES PROFESSIONAL MEMBERS Doctors, pharmacists, other related business entities or interested persons that are affected by the existence of the small/independent pharmaceutical distributor qualify as a Professional Member. However, this level of membership is not open to trade/industry vendors. Any company or persons directly involved in the distribution of pharmaceuticals and/or medical supplies, durable medical equipment or other related health care products cannot join this level of membership as an individual or a company. Associate Members must have dues paid to date, adhere to the organizational ethics code and be accepted by the Executive Committees as a company or individual with leadership in good standing. DUES AFFILIATE VENDOR/INDUSTRY MEMBERSHIP Any industry related vendor may become a member of NCPD. Members in this level will be on the general information mailing list and privy to NCPD’s activities and notifications. Any vendor interested in working directly with NCPD as an industry provider to its members must become a member at this level or higher. DUES OTHER TERMS AND CONDITIONS Membership fees and application fees are non-refundable. Membership does not provide access to the organization’s members’ roaster. All renewals are due on the applicant’s annual anniversary as well as completion of a renewal application. All renewal membership dues and applicable renewal applications must be submitted within 60 days in order for a member to remain in good standing and to be considered an active member within NCPD. Suspension of NCPD “privileges” as a member will be applicable after such time. Initial membership dues as well as renewals are at the discretion of the board of directors and changes to fees and dues may be modified with a board vote at the annual Board of Directors meeting. These Membership Guidelines (including the Membership Application and/or other NCPD publications) may be revised or amended from time to time by the Board, and adequate notice reasonably provided to all affected Members. The Board may consider any special requests that a current Member of any class, or potential Member of any class, or applying Member of any class, wishes to make, but reserves the right to deny or approve all or any portion of a request in its sole discretion. |
