Who are the new president and advisory council members at the Royal College of Pharmacy?

As the Royal Pharmaceutical Society’s (RPS) transition into the Royal College of Pharmacy picks up pace a number of new appointments have been made to key positions in the new organisation.

The election of the first president of the future royal college was announced at the end of March, following the establishment of advisory councils for England, Scotland and Wales.

Along with the appointment of the president, the advisory councils also internally elected their respective vice presidents who will serve as chairs, as well as vice chairs and additional members who will all sit on the senate.

Here, The Pharmacist takes a closer look at the people behind the appointments.

President: Tase Oputu

Tase Oputu, image copyright of Paul Stuart.

Prior to her election as president of the new college, Erutase (Tase) Oputu was elected as a member of the RPS England pharmacy board in June 2021 and has served as chair of the board from June 2023.

She is also a member of the RPS Assembly and currently holds the post of associate director for medicines optimisation, medicines value and performance at Kent & Medway NHS Integrated Care Board (ICB).

During her career she has spent time in Tanzania with Voluntary Services Overseas, worked on public health strategy with the Healthcare Commission and held a number of senior hospital pharmacy manager roles in London and the South East.

A graduate of the Ready Now NHS Leadership Academy programme for senior BME leaders, Ms Oputu has expressed a commitment to equality, diversity and inclusion. Upon her election, she said her focus would be on 'rebuilding engagement and championing inclusion'.

She is a trustee of the charity Pharmacy Research UK, and was a member of the NHS Assembly, which advised NHS England’s board on the implementation of the NHS long term plan.

She has also chaired BME staff networks at Newham Hospital and Maidstone and Tunbridge Wells NHS Trust.

English pharmacy advisory council

Vice president/chair: Mahendra Patel

Professor Mahendra Patel OBE started his career in community pharmacy before moving into academia. He is an RPS Fellow, former member of the RPS English Pharmacy Board and previously held the post of RPS Treasurer.

He is founding director of the Centre for Research Equity at the Nuffield Department of Primary Care Health Sciences, University of Oxford, where his remit is to shape national research policy, collaborating with the Royal College of GPs (RCGP) and developing strategic partnerships across the UK.

During the pandemic he played a key role in increasing diversity for the major PANORAMIC and PRINCIPLE Covid-19 trials, efforts which were recognised by the World Health Organisation and United Nations.

Prof Patel is also a member of the UK Pharmacy Professional Leadership Advisory Board, a British Medical Journal NHS commissioner and professional advisor to England’s chief pharmaceutical officer.

In 2025, he was awarded an honorary fellowship by the RCGP in recognition of his contributions to healthcare, research equity and cross-professional leadership.

Vice chair: Mildred Johnson

Mildred Johnson is currently chief pharmacist/clinical director of pharmacy at Maidstone and Tunbridge Wells NHS Trust, with corporate responsibility for medicines management and oversight of pharmacy services.

She also serves as the trust’s controlled drugs accountable officer and medication safety officer as well as being a Fellow of RPS in recognition of her contribution to national policy and workforce development.

As a member of the UK Pharmacy Professional Leadership Advisory Board, Ms Johnson’s published materials and national presentations have focused on professional standards, workforce development, patient safety, and equality, diversity and inclusion.

Senate: Claire Anderson

Claire Anderson has served as president of the RPS since 2021 and is a professor of social pharmacy in the division of pharmacy practice and policy at the School of Pharmacy, University of Nottingham. She is also a Fellow of the RPS and faculty, as well as the International Pharmaceutical Federation (FIP).

She also held the role of RPS English pharmacy board chair from 2019 to 2021.

Prof Anderson has more than 30 years’ academic experience and developed the first community pharmacy diploma at King’s College London.

Earlier in her career, she worked across hospital, community and primary care settings and was a tutor with the Centre for Pharmacy Postgraduate Education.

Professor Anderson contributed to pharmacy education and workforce development with the FIP from 2002 to 2022 and has chaired the NIHR research for patient benefit panel.

Welsh pharmacy advisory council

Vice president/chair: Liz Hallett

After qualifying from the University of Portsmouth, Liz Hallett returned to Wales to complete her pre-registration training in community pharmacy in the Rhondda Valley before moving into a pharmacist branch management role.

She later became a practice-based clinical pharmacist within Aneurin Bevan University Health Board, where she worked across a range of GP practices, gained a postgraduate diploma and qualified as an independent prescriber.

During the Covid-19 pandemic, she was redeployed to the mass vaccination programme and upon returning to general practice, she expanded her prescribing role into women’s health, with a particular focus on menopause.

Hallett has since taken on roles as a prescribing advisor in Monmouthshire and as a lead prison pharmacist, as well as serving for more than four years on the RPS Welsh pharmacy board, where she was involved in policy development, parliamentary enquiries and engagement with the Senedd.

She contributes to the all-Wales prescribing advisory group and has supported sustainability initiatives, including the ‘Only Order What You Need’ campaign to reduce medicines waste and promote responsible prescribing.

Vice chair: Aled Roberts

Aled Roberts began his career in community pharmacy, working across the south Wales valleys in pharmacist and managerial roles.

He has been involved in primary care cluster working and in 2019 co-founded the Rhondda Pharmacy Collaborative, completing a postgraduate certificate in clinical pharmacy and therapeutics at Keele University the same year.

In 2021, he moved into a national role with Community Pharmacy Wales as associate director of contractor engagement. Mr Roberts’ leads on digital developments such as the electronic prescription service rollout and on support for independent prescribing.

He also contributes to a number of national programmes and working groups, including Pharmacy: Delivering a Healthier Wales, the Public Health Wales antimicrobial stewardship workstream, and the Wales EPS programme board

Alongside this, he continues to practise as a community pharmacy locum, delivering national services including the community pharmacy independent prescribing service.

Senate: Eleri Schiavone

With almost 20 years’ experience in the NHS, Eleri Schiavone has also held a number of clinical specialist roles, including as an independent prescribing pharmacist.

She is head of blood donations at the Welsh Blood Service, where she leads work across a national portfolio in partnership with hospitals to manage supply and demand, support donor access and maintain service performance.

Ms Schiavone previously worked as medicines optimisation lead pharmacist for the NHS Wales joint commissioning committee, where she was responsible for the high-cost drugs database for specialised medicines and contributed to the development of commissioning policies in Wales.

In addition, she has supported HIV and hepatitis C initiatives in the UK as well as international charitable work in Pakistan, South Africa and Tanzania.

Scottish pharmacy advisory council

Vice president/chair: Catriona Sinclair

A community pharmacist and independent prescriber with over 30 years’ experience, Catriona Sinclair began her career with Boots, progressing from pharmacist to pharmacy manager and later area manager, before moving to the Highlands in 2009 to become a contractor.

With extensive leadership and governance experience within NHS Highland, she has been involved in pharmacy and wider healthcare committees for over a decade, including serving as chair of the area pharmaceutical committee and later chair of the area clinical forum – a role that also included appointment as a non-executive member of the NHS Highland Board.

Ms Sinclair has held a number of national and professional roles, including board member of Community Pharmacy Scotland and member of the RPS Scottish pharmacy board.

She also chairs Community Pharmacy Highland and is a board member of the Clyne Heritage Society.

Vice chair: Josh Miller

Now an advanced clinical pharmacist working in admissions and urgent care at the Queen Elizabeth University Hospital in Glasgow, Josh Miller graduated from the University of Strathclyde in 2018 and completed an MSc in advanced clinical pharmacy practice at Queen's University Belfast in 2021.

Mr Miller has clinical interests in diabetes, endocrinology and respiratory medicine, and has led pharmacist-run clinics and outpatient initiatives to advance patient care through innovative practice.

His involvement with the RPS began as a student champion and has since included participation in short-life working groups and expert advisory bodies.

He joined the RPS Scottish pharmacy board in 2022, contributing to strategic discussions and advocacy for the profession.

He has recently been awarded RPS core advanced credentialing and is currently undertaking an MPhil focused on supporting and developing new prescribers.

Senate: Laura Fulton

A pharmacist with experience across community, acute and national roles, Laura Fulton has been chief pharmacist at Healthcare Improvement Scotland since May 2025.

In this role she provides strategic and clinical leadership, offering specialist pharmacy advice and supporting the organisation’s approach to clinical and care governance.

Ms Fulton joined Healthcare Improvement Scotland from NHS Golden Jubilee, where she served as director of pharmacy from 2023.

Prior to this, she was director for Scotland at the General Pharmaceutical Council, where she led work to reform pharmacy education and training, resulting in updated standards published in 2021.

Earlier in her career, Ms Fulton held clinical and leadership roles in community pharmacy, including serving as a board member of Community Pharmacy Scotland for just over three years.

She also pioneered non-medical prescribing to support addiction services in NHS Lanarkshire and has worked with the Scottish Government as a clinical leadership fellow.

She was elected to the RPS Scottish pharmacy board in 2024.