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Professor Mahendra Patel OBE, CEO of the Oxford University Centre for Research Equity (CfRE), has been appointed as an independent expert member of the UK Pharmacy Professional Leadership Advisory Board. The newly established Board comprises nine independent expert members (IEMs) with outstanding leadership capabilities, who were appointed through open recruitment, ensuring a "broad, balanced, and diverse" representation. Sir Hugh Taylor KCB, the Independent Chair of the Board, and the UK Chief Pharmaceutical Officers (CPhOs) - Andrew Evans (Wales), Cathy Harrison (Northern Ireland), Alison Strath (Scotland), and David Webb (England) - announced the appointment of IEMs in an open letter to the UK pharmacy professions. "Bringing a wealth of experience and expertise, they will play a pivotal role in the Board's work to deliver an exciting vision through supporting a new and dynamic phase of collaboration," the CPhOs said. As the CEO of CfRE, Professor Patel spearheads efforts aimed at addressing inequalities in healthcare.

In a bid to bolster professional leadership within the pharmacy sector, the four government Chief Pharmaceutical Officers (CPhOs) have embarked on a significant initiative, forming the UK Pharmacy Professional Leadership Advisory Board (UKPPLAB). In a recent communication, all pharmacists and pharmacy technicians received confirmation of the board members selected by the CPhOs, alongside a note from the board's appointed chair, who was chosen collectively by the four CPhOs and reports directly to the CPhO for England. Over three years, the 21-member Board will implement recommendations from the UK Commission on Pharmacy Professional Leadership's report aimed to enhance professional fulfillment among pharmacists while simultaneously augmenting patient safety standards. This announcement also follows with the appointment of Sir Hugh Taylor as its Independent Chair and the appointment of Independent Expert Members who expressed his delight over the role's "potential to lead and support collaboration across the professions in the UK". However, the move has been met with cautious optimism from the Pharmacists' Defence Association (PDA), urging the new board to uphold transparency and openness to garner trust among pharmacists.