The creation of the Royal College of Pharmacy is a ‘historic opportunity’ for a collective voice and must be inclusive, transparent and united, pharmacy leaders have said.
The call was made by Royal Pharmaceutical Society (RPS) and UK Pharmacy and Professional Leadership Advisory Board (UKPPLAB) leaders at the RPS annual conference.
The discussion followed the RPS’s vote earlier this year, in which members voted in favour of becoming the ‘Royal College of Pharmacy’ with charitable status.
Related Article: Pharmacists concerned they will see ‘very little’ of contract funding boost
Speakers emphasised the importance of developing a collective voice for the profession.
Chief pharmacist at the University Hospitals of Leicester NHS Trust (UHL), Mohamed Rahman, felt that the Royal College was a ‘historic opportunity for a powerful, collective voice’.
Chair of UKPPLAB, Sir Hugh Taylor, agreed, and said that the transition could end ‘the fragmentation of professional leadership in pharmacy over the years’.
Inclusion was another key aspiration for the Royal College. Ms Williams said the royal college must represent the whole of pharmacy, with equity and inclusion at its heart.
‘This isn't about taking anything away from pharmacists. This is about recognising that our professions are stronger together when we lead, learn and advocate together,’ she said.
Amy Laflin, acting president of the Association of Pharmacy Technicians UK (APTUK), added: ‘Pharmacy technicians are not an add on to the profession. We are co-leaders, co-creators and co-deliverers of care.
Related Article: Expansion of Pharmacy First a ‘key step’ in delivering preventative care
‘The Royal College has an opportunity to build a professional home that reflects the reality of modern practice within pharmacy, and that opportunity is now.’
The RPS has spent the past few months gathering feedback on the changes from its members via in-person events, an online survey and a feedback email, which remains open.
One thing that members have asked for is more transparency, said RPS deputy chief executive, Karen Baxter.
‘As we look to our future as a charity it will be a requirement for us to embed impact measures so we can report back on how we are delivering against those measures. That is something that the sector and our members have asked for many times in the past – to clearly articulate what we are doing,’ she said.
Related Article: Beyond the scales: reframing eating disorder recognition in primary care
Independent expert member of UKPPLAB, Ellen Williams, added that co-creation of the Royal College is a ‘way of working that starts with listening and builds trust, and that comes through transparency.’
The RPS recently published draft interim regulations as part of its transition, and is still asking members to share their views. The 60-day consultation period – known as ‘gazetting’ – will run from Monday 20 October to Friday 19 December 2025.
Have your say
Please add your comment in the box below. You can include links, but HTML is not permitted. Please note that comments are not moderated before publication and the views expressed are those of the user and do not reflect the views of The Pharmacist. Remember that submission of comments is governed by our Terms and Conditions. You can also read our full guidelines on article comments here – but please be aware that you are legally liable for any libellous or offensive comments that you make. If you have a complaint about a comment or are concerned that a comment breaches our terms and conditions, please use the ‘Report this comment’ function to alert our web team.