UK Board publishes collaborative proposals for the future of pharmacy professional leadership as part of the Royal College of Pharmacy
UK Board publishes collaborative proposals for the future of pharmacy professional leadership as part of the Royal College of Pharmacy
The UK Pharmacy Professional Leadership Advisory Board has today published its proposals for a bold and ambitious new approach to pharmacy professional leadership in the UK, involving a more inclusive Royal College of Pharmacy by December 2029.
Infographics: A New Future for Pharmacy Professional Leadership in the UK
Developed collaboratively by Board members, the proposals set out recommendations for the future strategy and form of the Royal College when it is established in April 2026. The proposals are designed to create a new professional home for pharmacy, with an ambitious strategy, which is inclusive from the beginning, and has a clear, attractive offer for members, and which is grounded in engagement with patients and the public.
The proposals have been developed by the eight professional leadership bodies and specialist professional groups and independent expert members involved in the Board, which include the Royal Pharmaceutical Society.
The Board’s recommendations for the future Royal College cover:
- Endorsing and adopting the Vision and Common Purpose for Pharmacy Professional Leadership principles as foundational for its work.
- Embedding collaboration and co-creation as watchwords, so its strategy is coowned by those engaged in pharmacy professional leadership across the UK.
- Committing to a wide-ranging engagement exercise on its strategy, including the Board’s contributions, to identify early tangible actions.
- Leading a three-stage inclusion process to include specialist professional groups, pharmacy technicians and Northern Ireland within the Royal College subject to consultation and special resolution votes.
On future strategy the Board commends five ambitions:
- Co-create a unified and inclusive professional home.
- Prioritise excellence and ambition in education, innovation, research and career development.
- Strengthen the collective voice of pharmacy professional leadership through collaboration.
- Renew relationships, enhancing engagement with members, potential members and wider stakeholders.
- Showcase and promote the best in pharmacy leadership.
Board members have signed up to a three-stage inclusion process to be completed by December 2029. This outlines how the Royal College could become a more inclusive professional leadership home for pharmacists, pharmacy technicians, pharmaceutical scientists, pharmacy trainees and students, and others working in pharmacy across the UK, including Northern Ireland.
Key elements could include (all subject to the required engagement, member consultation and member votes):
- Inclusion of pharmacy technicians as Royal College members with distinct and equitable representation at Council, Senate and Board level.
- Inclusion of pharmacists in Northern Ireland as Royal College members – and forming a National Council for Northern Ireland.
- Inclusion of the specialist professional groups and their members, through the creation of a Forum of Specialist Associations – involving the British Oncology Pharmacy Association, the College of Mental Health Pharmacy, the Primary Care Pharmacy Association and the UK Clinical Pharmacy Association in the first instance – and its subsequent incorporation through a formal role in the Royal College’s governance and professional leadership.
Sir Hugh Taylor, Independent Chair of Board, said:
“This collaborative statement marks an important step towards an inclusive and effective Royal College of Pharmacy: creating the opportunity to widen and strengthen the collective voice of pharmacy professional leadership through the inclusion of all four countries of the UK, specialist groups and both professions. It is testament to the commitment and collaborative working of the Board over the past two years, and to a shared determination to put patients, the public and the pharmacy professions at the heart of professional leadership for the future.
“Change will take time, continued close collaboration and effective engagement. But the statement is a call for action and this is a generational opportunity that must be seized. The challenges facing pharmacy and the wider health system are no respecters of national, professional, sectoral or organisational boundaries.”
“The challenge to professional leadership in pharmacy is to come together to support pharmacists and pharmacy technicians in their practice to keep improving health and health services for patients and the public, and to develop and thrive as professionals. Get it right and the Royal College of Pharmacy has the potential to transform the landscape of pharmacy professional leadership in the UK and to ensure pharmacy looks confidently to the future.”
The Board brings together eight pharmacy professional leadership bodies and specialist professional groups, plus independent expert members from across the UK. Board members will host a series of webinars in late February and early March, giving pharmacists, pharmacy technicians and others working in pharmacy the opportunity to hear more about the proposals and speak directly with Board members about the future of pharmacy professional leadership.
Infographics: A New Future for Pharmacy Professional Leadership in the UK
Quotes from PLB and SPG Board members:
Martina Aikon, President, British Pharmaceutical Students Association:
“The pharmacy professional landscape is ever changing. As pharmacy students and trainees we bear witness to this with the integration of independent prescribing in our MPharm degrees, foundation training year and day one of practice. Now is the perfect opportunity to lay the foundation and establish unity within the pharmacy professional leadership space to ensure inclusivity, representation, and evidencebased guidance which will support the education, training and practice of pharmacy professionals. We encourage our members to get involved with the engagement events and contribute to the conversation.”
Professor Claire Anderson, President, Royal Pharmaceutical Society:
“As the RPS representative on the UKPPLAB I congratulate Sir Hugh and my fellow Board members on the Board’s continued commitment to deepening collaboration and to an inclusive future for pharmacy professional leadership. I can see significant benefits to both professionals and patients in coming together in terms of professional leadership, and it is vital that everyone in pharmacy has the opportunity to debate and discuss the proposals UKPPLAB puts forward.
“While any decisions about this inclusive future may rest with organisations and their members I value and appreciate the work of Sir Hugh Taylor and my fellow UKPPLAB board members in convening and facilitating the discussions that have led
us to this point.“That’s why it’s so important that pharmacists, pharmacy technicians, students and trainees join in this conversation, hear more about the proposals and share their views.
“RPS has always said it is committed to exploring a more inclusive future for pharmacy professionals, but decisions about the future must be based on discussion, consultation, and trust.”
Nicola Greenhalgh, President, College of Mental Health Pharmacy:
”This represents a pivotal moment for our professions. For those of us working in mental health pharmacy, it reinforces the need for a unified, collaborative voice that champions the people we care for and the colleagues we work alongside.
“As proposals for a more inclusive Royal College of Pharmacy take shape, the coming months offer an invaluable opportunity to work together, share our expertise, and ensure mental health pharmacy is represented, heard and strengthened. By engaging collectively, we can help shape a leadership model that truly supports our teams and the patients who rely on us. Collaboration isn’t optional, it’s the foundation of safer, more compassionate care’.”
Amy Laflin, President, Association of Pharmacy Technicians UK:
“Pharmacy technicians and pre-registration trainee pharmacy technicians play a vital and respected role in advancing the profession. Your insight, experience, and voice are essential to shaping a future in which pharmacy leadership is truly representative of all who contribute to patient care. I encourage you to engage with the forthcoming discussions and lend your perspective to the development of a more inclusive Royal College of Pharmacy. Your participation today helps build the profession we aspire to tomorrow.”
Sheelin McKeagney, Chair, Pharmacy Forum Northern Ireland:
“Pharmacy Forum has been an active member and contributor to the work of UKPPLAB since its inception. In particular, the Forum seeks to strengthen the collective voice of pharmacy professional leadership through collaboration.
“As healthcare continues to evolve, the need to work together both collaboratively and at scale becomes increasingly critical. Providing strong professional leadership to colleagues delivering ever more complex care to patients is essential as the pharmacy profession continues to develop.
“We are grateful to colleagues at UKPPLAB for their continued engagement with us in this shared direction of travel, which we believe will deliver reciprocal benefits for our respective memberships and, ultimately, for patients.
Dr Graham Stretch, President, Primary Care Pharmacy Association:
“We have reached a tipping point where collaborative leadership in pharmacy is within our grasp. A new college for pharmacy, open to all with representation and participation from all our colleagues is the goal, and will require goodwill, trust and commitment across our professions. The next few months will bring unprecedented change and I urge all members and their teams to get involved.”
John Warburton, Chair, UK Clinical Pharmacy Association:
“The work of the advisory board highlights like never before the vast contribution of all our pharmacy organisations, including UKCPA, to the success of our pharmacy professions. Pharmacy is constantly changing and collaboration is now the most credible currency to invest in for the future. This announcement sets out a route to closer and more synergistic working. Our patients don’t see a myriad of separate pharmacy organisations but instead a unified pharmacy team providing the best possible care.”
Joseph Williams, Immediate Past Chair, British Oncology Pharmacy Association:
“BOPA welcomes the opportunity to help shape a transformed model of pharmacy professional leadership that is inclusive, trusted, and responsive to the needs of the patients and professions we serve. Central to this will be a commitment to listening to the BOPA community and ensuring that the voices of cancer pharmacy staff across all sectors are reflected in future decision making.
“The development of a Royal College of Pharmacy offers a critical moment to rebuild confidence, strengthen collaboration across the system, and establish a leadership structure that provides clear, coherent oversight for the whole profession, that truly reflects the breadth and depth of pharmacy practice in the UK.
“We look forward to engaging with the proposals and working collectively to ensure the new model supports pharmacists, pharmacy.”
Further Information:
Infographics: A New Future for Pharmacy Professional Leadership in the UK
Register for a webinar:
Each webinar will have a particular focus, but everyone is welcome to join. To register, please sign up here:
- Tuesday 24 February, 6-7pm – to focus on pharmacy technicians across the UK.
- Wednesday 25 February, 6-7pm – to focus on pharmacy teams in Northern Ireland.
- Tuesday 3 March, 7-8pm – to focus on members of specialist professional groups.
- Wednesday 4 March, 1-2pm – to focus on pharmacy students and trainees
