Collaboration to be at the heart of the Royal College of Pharmacy

The future Royal College of Pharmacy will put collaboration at its centre, the UK Pharmacy Professional Leadership Advisory Board (UKPPLAB) has proposed.

In a statement published yesterday, UKPPLAB set out recommendations for the strategy and structure of the new body, due to be established in April.

As well as ‘embedding collaboration and co-creation as watchwords’, recommendations include a commitment to an in-depth strategy engagement exercise, and endorsing and adopting UKPPLAB’s vision and common purpose.

UKPPLAB also recommended a ‘three-stage inclusion process’ to be completed by December 2029, to outline how groups such as pharmacists, pharmacy technicians, pharmaceutical scientists, pharmacy trainees and students and others working in pharmacy across the UK, including Northern Ireland, can be included in the new college.

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The proposals have been developed collaboratively by UKPPLAB, which comprises eight leadership bodies and specialist professional groups, alongside independent expert members, including the Royal Pharmaceutical Society (RPS).

Sir Hugh Taylor, independent chair of the UKPPLAB, said the statement ‘marks an important step towards an inclusive and effective Royal College of Pharmacy’.

‘Change will take time, continued close collaboration and effective engagement,’ he said.

He described the statement as ‘a call for action’ and said, ‘this is a generational opportunity that must be seized’.

Dr Graham Stretch, president at the Primary Care Pharmacy Association said: ‘We have reached a tipping point where collaborative leadership in pharmacy is within our grasp.

‘The next few months will bring unprecedented change and I urge all members and their teams to get involved.’

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RPS president Prof Claire Anderson and chief executive of the RPS Paul Bennett described the establishment of the new Royal College as ‘foundational’ but ‘not the final destination’.

‘That’s why when we launch the royal college, scheduled for April, we will also announce a significant programme of engagement with our members about the future, including exploring the recommendations put forward by the Board,’ they said.

They emphasised the need for any future decisions to ‘be based on discussion, consultation, and trust’.

The statement includes five strategic ambitions for the future Royal College, which include:

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1. Co-create a unified and inclusive professional home
2. Prioritise excellence and ambition in education, innovation, research and career development
3. Strengthen the collective voice of pharmacy professional leadership through collaboration
4. Renew relationships, enhancing engagement with members, potential members and wider stakeholders
5. Showcase and promote the best in pharmacy leadership

The statement follows an open letter to the pharmacy profession from UKPPLAB in January, which urged the sector to come together.

At the RPS annual conference last November, pharmacy leaders hailed the creation of the Royal College of Pharmacy as a ‘historic opportunity’ for a collective voice – one that must be inclusive, transparent and united.