EFPAM Structure

Membership

Membership is open to all formally constituted bodies exclusively engaged in serving and/or promoting the interests and/or rights of patients wishing to use and/or consult health professionals and health care institutions within the framework of anthroposophic medicine. Membership is not open to individuals.

Individuals who are in the process of starting an association are actively encouraged to approach members of EFPAM to gain support which would lead to membership once their new societies are established.

Organisations within the field of anthroposophic medicine in all its forms or in the field of other forms of medicine and/or health care may register as ‘corresponding member’, at the discretion of the Assembly of EFPAM.

Governance

Governance of EFPAM is via an Assembly which meets annually and which approves policy, constitutional and procedural matters. The Assembly is open to representatives from all participating organisations. Each member society has one vote.

There is a small unpaid Board, not exceeding ten members. No Board member may be professionally active in the fields of dispensing medicine or health care of any sort, all in the broadest sense. No more then two members of one country may be on the Board at the same time. In principle, the members of the Board are elected from among the members of EFPAM.

The main role of the Board is to act as representatives of EFPAM, to act as a postbox, i.e. information exchange, maintaining databases, supporting newly formed societies and to organize Assembly meetings.

The EFPAM framework has no permanent secretariat or administrative centre. Members of the Board provide administrative support on the basis of project/task teams drawn from and initiated by the membership. The secretary of the Board has the task to maintain and keep the records of the Federation.

Funding

In principle, all participating bodies contribute to the running costs and activities in EFPAM but varying needs and capacities should not preclude participation.

The organisation of EFPAM is governed by the principle of low cost resourcing and is financed by a mixed economy of sponsorship and member subscriptions. The framework allows for differential subscription levels depending on circumstances.