(1) The State Board of Pharmacy created by former Section 73-21-9 is continued and reconstituted as follows: The board shall consist of seven (7) appointed members. At least one (1) appointment shall be made from each congressional district. Each appointed member of the board shall be appointed by the Governor, with the advice and consent of the Senate, from a list of five (5) names submitted by the Mississippi Pharmacists Association, with input from the Magnolia Pharmaceutical Society, the Mississippi Independent Pharmacies Association (MIPA), Mississippi Society of Health-System Pharmacists (MSHP) and Mississippi College of Clinical Pharmacy (MCCP) and other pharmacist associations or societies. Of the members appointed, one (1) shall, at the time of appointment, have had five (5) years’ experience as a pharmacist at a facility holding an institutional permit, and one (1) shall, at the time of appointment, have had five (5) years’ experience as a pharmacist at a facility holding a retail permit. Any person appointed to the board shall be limited to two (2) full terms of office during any fifteen-year period, including any member serving on May 14, 1992.

(2) The members of the board appointed and serving prior to July 1, 1983, whose terms have not expired by July 1, 1983, shall serve the balance of their terms as members of the reconstituted board, and they shall be considered to be from the same congressional districts from which they were originally appointed if they still reside therein, even if the district boundaries have changed subsequent to their original appointments. The Governor shall appoint the remaining members of the reconstituted board in the manner prescribed in subsection (1) of this section on July 1, 1983. The initial members of the reconstituted board shall serve terms of office as follows:

(a) The term of the member from the First Congressional District shall expire on July 1, 1984; and from and after July 1, 1996, this appointment shall be designated as Post 1.

(b) The term of the member from the Second Congressional District shall expire on July 1, 1988; and from and after July 1, 1996, this appointment shall be designated as Post 2.

(c) The term of the member from the Third Congressional District shall expire on July 1, 1986; and from and after July 1, 1996, this appointment shall be designated as Post 3.

(d) The term of the member from the Fourth Congressional District shall expire on July 1, 1985; and from and after July 1, 1996, this appointment shall be designated as Post 4.

(e) The term of the member from the Fifth Congressional District shall expire on July 1, 1987; and from and after July 1, 1996, this appointment shall be designated as Post 5.

(f) The term of one (1) of the members from the state at large shall expire on July 1, 1985; and from and after July 1, 1996, this appointment shall be designated as Post 6.

(g) The term of the other member from the state at large shall expire on July 1, 1988; and from and after July 1, 1996, this appointment shall be designated as Post 7.

The appointments of members from congressional districts as provided under this section shall be made from the congressional districts as they existed on July 1, 2001.

(3) At the expiration of a term, members of the board shall be appointed in the manner prescribed in subsection (1) of this section for terms of five (5) years from the expiration date of the previous terms. Any vacancy on the board prior to the expiration of a term for any reason, including resignation, removal, disqualification, death or disability, shall be filled by appointment of the Governor in the manner prescribed in subsection (1) of this section for the balance of the unexpired term. The Mississippi Pharmacists Association, with input from the Magnolia Pharmaceutical Society, the Mississippi Independent Pharmacies Association (MIPA), Mississippi Society of Health-System Pharmacists (MSHP) and Mississippi College of Clinical Pharmacy (MCCP) and other pharmacist associations or societies, shall submit a list of nominees no more than thirty (30) days after a vacancy occurs, and the Governor shall fill such vacancies within ninety (90) days after each such vacancy occurs. If an election is required to narrow the number of potential candidates for nominations to the board, the Mississippi Pharmacists Association shall provide a ballot to each pharmacist holding a valid Mississippi license.

(4) To be qualified to be a member of the board, a person shall:

(a) Be an adult citizen of Mississippi for a period of at least five (5) years preceding his appointment to the board;

(b) Be a pharmacist licensed and in good standing to practice pharmacy in the State of Mississippi; and

(c) Have actively engaged in the practice of pharmacy in Mississippi for a period of at least five (5) years.

(5) The Governor may remove any or all members of the board on proof of unprofessional conduct, continued absence from the state, or for failure to perform the duties of his office. Any member who shall not attend two (2) consecutive meetings of the board for any reason other than illness of such member shall be subject to removal by the Governor. The president of the board shall notify the Governor in writing when any such member has failed to attend two (2) consecutive regular meetings. No removal shall be made without first giving the accused an opportunity to be heard in refutation of the charges made against him, and he shall be entitled to receive a copy of the charges at the time of filing.