Inaugural elections for the Royal College of Pharmacy to be held early next year

Nominations open on 5 January 2026 for the inaugural elections of the future Royal College of Pharmacy (RCPharm), expected to launch in April 2026.

The elections will be for places on the three National Advisory Councils (currently called National Pharmacy Boards) in England, Scotland and Wales and they will take place in early 2026, the Royal Pharmaceutical Society (RPS) has announced.

The three National Advisory Councils will contribute to the development of the College’s strategy and aid its implementation within each nation.

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Each Council, and its elected members, will be responsible for:

• Developing pharmacy policy and practice in their nation
• Supporting professional development activity in their nation
• Engaging with members and representing the College

The elected members of each National Pharmacy Advisory Council will be able to put themselves forward for additional roles in the royal college governance structure, by being elected to positions that sit on the Senate and the Board of Trustees.

To be eligible to stand as a candidate, individuals must be a member or fellow of the RPS and a current registrant of the General Pharmaceutical Council (GPhC).

Candidates can only stand for one National Pharmacy Advisory Council, which is determined by their place of work, and will need two nominators – a Proposer and a Seconder – who must both be RPS members.

The RPS ‘strongly encourages’ those from underrepresented groups to apply because ‘diverse perspectives and experiences are vital to ensuring that the future royal college’s governance structures reflect the professionals and communities it serves’.

Anyone who wishes to stand as a candidate must be a full member at 5pm on Thursday 29 January 2026.

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Candidates must submit their nomination between 11am on Monday 5 January and 5pm on Monday 2 February 2026.

RPS president Professor Claire Anderson said: ‘These inaugural elections are a significant milestone on our journey to becoming the RCPharm. It’s an exciting and unique opportunity for members from across pharmacy to put themselves forward and play a key role in shaping the new organisation and particularly pharmacy policy and practice in each nation and across Great Britain.’

She urged anyone with a passion for pharmacy to consider standing and put themselves forward to play an important role in establishing the new royal college.

Chief executive of the RPS, Paul Bennett, added: ‘We’ve made the nomination criteria for these elections more accessible and inclusive and would particularly like to see nominations from under-represented groups, people of all abilities, and those from diverse communities.

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‘We want to ensure the future royal college is led with full understanding of the range of perspectives and experiences that reflect the diversity of our profession and the communities we serve. We want every elected member to feel they belong and can fully contribute.’

Joe Irvin OBE was recently appointed chair of the board of trustees for the future RCPharm.