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The Royal Pharmaceutical Society (RPS) has appointed James Davies as Director of England. Davies will be joining RPS in January 2023 to drive professional leadership for the pharmacy profession in England, working with and for RPS members. He'll lead on national policy development, professional advocacy and member engagement across England, in partnership with the English Pharmacy Board. Davies said: "It's a privilege to take up this position within the RPS, the professional home of pharmacy. I have been a member of the RPS throughout my pharmacy career, and that has helped me to continually drive excellence in pharmacy practice. I'm excited about delivering the current RPS strategy to ensure that pharmacy is, and continues to be, at the forefront of healthcare. I'm eager to work as part of the team and with the Board, leading and developing opportunities for the profession that improve the lives of patients and the public.

The Royal Pharmaceutical Society (RPS) has appointed Laura Wilson as Director for Scotland commencing 23rd January 2023. Laura, is currently Policy and Practice Lead for RPS in Scotland. She is accountable for bringing national RPS policy to life for members in Scotland, while contributing to the GB wide professional leadership agenda. She will work closely with the Scottish Pharmacy Board, senior NHS officials and other key stakeholders across the breadth of the pharmacy profession and beyond to ensure pharmacy is on the forefront of healthcare in Scotland. She joins the existing team of RPS Country Directors, which includes Elen Jones, Director for Wales and James Davies, Director for England and will report directly to the Chief Executive. Laura Wilson said: "I am delighted to be appointed Director for Scotland having worked as part of the RPS Scotland team as the policy and practice lead. It will be an honour to continue the fantastic work started by former Director Clare Morrison to bring Pharmacy 2030, our vision for pharmacy in Scotland in the future, to life and supporting pharmacy teams to deliver person centred care.

The Royal Pharmaceutical Society (RPS) has re-joined the International Pharmaceutical Federation (FIP) after reflecting its commitment to international collaboration and the advancement of the pharmacy profession. RPS President Professor Claire Anderson said: "Members told us they wanted to see us re-join FIP to further our commitment to international partnerships which support education and advocacy to develop and progress the pharmacy profession.". "We fully recognise the importance of international collaboration and the sharing of knowledge and best practice with our peers across the world. "FIP are refocusing their membership offer and we're delighted to work with them on opportunities for professional development and increased visibility and recognition for the pharmacy profession." Paul Bennett, RPS CEO said: "Now that we have re-joined, our teams across RPS look forward to reinvigorating the close collaboration we have previously enjoyed with our colleagues both within FIP itself, and across the breadth of FIP Member organisations to further our vision and mission".

The Royal Pharmaceutical Society (RPS) has appointed Dr Anthony Cox from the University of Birmingham as the new chair of its Education and Standards Committee. Anthony is Head of the School of Pharmacy and a Reader in Clinical Pharmacy and Drug Safety. He has previously been a member of the English Pharmacy Board and is a Fellow of the RPS. The Education and Standards Committee provides expert advice and makes recommendations to the RPS Education and Professional Development directorate, reporting directly to the RPS Assembly. Dr Anthony Cox said: "I'm looking forward to working with the committee during this vitally important time for the education of the profession at all levels, and delighted to support the RPS in continuing to develop and deliver its important role in defining and assuring post-registration standards of pharmacy practice."

The Royal Pharmaceutical Society (RPS) Scotland has launched an online pharmacy best practice hub to showcase the best practices adopted by pharmacy teams in Scotland. The brand new pharmacy best practice hub, hosted on the RPS Scotland website, went live on Thursday (August 11). RPS Scotland said: "Pharmacy teams across Scotland are undertaking fantastic work right now, in a variety of settings including community, hospital and general practice pharmacy as well as specialist settings. Many of these examples demonstrate the very best in pharmacy practice, which is supporting the profession to move further towards RPS Scotland's professional vision for the future of pharmacy, Pharmacy 2030." RPS wants to celebrate and share these examples with healthcare professionals, government, politicians, the public and potential pharmacy students to inspire people into the profession. It also provides a fantastic opportunity for pharmacy teams to share their practice with each other across the country.

The Royal Pharmaceutical Society is set to cease all its remaining financial investments in fossil fuels latest by the end of 2022. The decision taken today (November 17) at the RPS Assemble, is part of the organisation's "continued drive to become an environmentally responsible organisation." Calling it a significant move, RPS president Claire Anderson said: "RPS will divest from fossil fuels as soon as possible. "RPS will instruct its investment managers immediately to ensure that we will be completely disinvested by the end of 2022 and hopefully sooner." Environment and human wellbeing have always been a core consideration of RPS investment, however it was not enough to offset the negative impacts of climate change, the organisation said.

As part of its inclusion and diversity strategy, the Royal Pharmaceutical Society (RPS) has launched a campaign to challenge barriers to working in pharmacy for those with disabilities. A profession-wide survey on the subject conducted by the RPS, identified disability as the biggest barrier to working in pharmacy, highlighting the area of work to support pharmacists. The campaign will focus on reducing barriers to enter the profession, developing more accessible working environments and encouraging employers to collect data on disability in the workplace. The campaign, based on inputs from the RPS Ability Group volunteers with visible and non-visible disabilities, will run until the end of March. Following recommendation of the RPS Ability Group, RPS has written to the General Pharmaceutical Council (GPhC) the Higher Education Occupational Practitioners (HEOPS) to update the guidance on standards of medical fitness for pharmacy students.

The Royal Pharmaceutical Society (RPS) Wales and the Association of the British Pharmaceutical Industry (ABPI) co-hosted a drop-in session to inform members of the Senedd (MSs) about the action taken by pharmacists to make medicines use more sustainable. At a 'drop-in' session the ABPI, RPS members and staff had the opportunity to speak to a number of MSs from all political parties. "With medicines accounting for around 25 per cent of the NHS carbon emissions, conversations were based around the key recommendations to reverse this from the RPS' policies on sustainability," said RPS. The three key themes emphasised in all discussions were- the need to educate the public and change behaviours to avoid stockpiling medicines; How the clinical skills of prescribing pharmacists can be used for appropriate de-prescribing and switching patients to low carbon options; and importance of tackling waste. RPS Wales Director Elen Jones said: "It was fantastic to see how interested and engaged the politicians were around these important issues. By the end of our conversations, they all clearly understood and supported the importance of pharmacy leadership in this area, as well as the need for the link between climate change and medicines to be better understood by patients.

The Royal Pharmaceutical Society (RPS) has published its new 'Core Advanced Pharmacist Curriculum' to enable professional development towards advanced pharmacist practice. This follows an intensive programme of work undertaken in collaboration with a wide range of UK stakeholders, the society said today (June 27) in a statement. The Curriculum will equip pharmacists with advanced leadership, education, and research capabilities which are essential to support, lead and advance the profession through transformative change so it continues to meet evolving patient and service requirements. The RPS Core Advanced Curriculum provides the blueprint to develop such individuals by articulating a UK entry-level standard to advanced pharmacist practice, relevant to all patient-focussed pharmacist roles and aligned to multi-professional definitions of advanced practice. This curriculum completes the core RPS post-registration curricula, creating a seamless post-registration professional development continuum modelled around five common domains- Person-centred care and collaboration; Professional practice; Leadership and management; Education; and Research.

A member of the English Pharmacy Board and RPS Assembly, Sharon Isobel Tait Buckle (also known as Sibby) has been elected unopposed as the treasurer of the Royal Pharmaceutical Society (RPS). Sibby takes over the role from Andre Yeung, whose tenure ended in June 2022. Sibby was first elected to the English board in 2012 and is the first woman to hold the post since RPS became the professional leadership body in 2010. She is already part of the Finance and Investment Committee, where RPS budgets, pensions, assets, financial priorities and performance, reserves and investment policies are scrutinised and agreed. Commenting on her new role, Buckle said: "I want to build on the great contribution made by our previous Treasurer. Over the next two years of my tenure I will monitor and challenge our financial performance, our focus on Environmental, Social and Governance factors (ESG), investment strategy and performance and our financial governance.

The Royal Pharmaceutical Society (RPS) has appointed Neville Carter as its new chief education and membership officer. Neville joins RPS from the Royal Society of Medicine (RSM) where he is currently director of engagement, leading a team of over 60 and responsible for creating a combined directorate accountable for education, membership, philanthropy, and business development. He has, in particular, led on the development of a digital education strategy and launched professional development training programmes for members. Prior to joining the RSM, Neville worked as director of product and sales at the British Medical Association with responsibility for membership growth, supporting corporate transformation and developing and managing member benefits and relationships with third-party providers to support revenue growth. He also has senior manager experience at the RAC and at British Airways. Commenting on the appointment, Paul Bennett, RPS CEO, said: "I'm delighted that Neville will be joining our Executive team. He brings a wealth of relevant experience and this, in combination with a strong existing education and membership team at RPS and a clear ambition to strengthen the relevant functions further, will enable the organisation to deliver a dynamic offering for our members.

The Royal Pharmaceutical Society has opened a survey which asks its members how they would want to take part in and learn about decisions made by the RPS. The RPS said the survey was a core part of the independent review of member participation and communications led by communications consultancy Luther Pendragon. It said: "We will be asking our members to join focus groups to give their opinions on how participation can be developed and strengthened, and how RPS communications about decisions it has taken on behalf of the profession through its governance boards can be improved. We will also be asking our elected members and key external stakeholders for their views over the coming weeks." The Luther team will then build a series of recommendations for RPS and develop a corporate communications strategy which will include action plans to enable greater participation. RPS president Claire Anderson said: "We want to hear from as many of you as possible through our survey to inform how the organisation works with and engages with you, our members.

The Royal Pharmaceutical Society (RPS) has launched a new revised RPS Professional Standards for Hospital Pharmacy Services at its annual conference held on Friday (11 November). RPS developed the standards through an extensive consultation with the profession, multidisciplinary teams and patients. They are relevant for providers of pharmacy services in acute, mental health, private, community service, prison, hospice and ambulance settings. The revised Standards contain two brand new descriptors - research, audit and quality improvement, and inclusion and wellbeing. Updates have been made to the supporting statements to ensure they reflect current practice and are fit for the future. A new assessment tool has been developed to support organisations either self-assess or peer-assess against the Standards. "For the first time the Standards apply UK wide, having gained support from Pharmacy Forum NI, alongside endorsement from The Association of Pharmacy Technicians UK and other professional groups," RPS said.

The Royal Pharmaceutical Society has appointed communications agency to lead a review into how it can develop and strengthen member participation. "We've appointed communications consultancy Luther Pendragon to carry out an independent review of the participation of members and of our communications concerning decisions we take on behalf of the profession through our Governance boards," the Society said in a statement on Tuesday (May 10). It added that review would examine how RPS members, elected members and stakeholders can feel engaged, informed and empowered to influence decisions about RPS policy and understand why decisions around organisational policy have been taken on their behalf by elected representatives. It will also ensure RPS decision-making processes are open and transparent with an emphasis on evidence-based decision making, and recommend ways elected members are enabled to be publicly accountable for decisions taken by the organisation at Board and Assembly level.

The Royal Pharmaceutical Society (RPS) has launched a partnership with the charity Marie Curie to develop professional standards in end of life care for community pharmacy. Available for pharmacy teams across the UK, the standards will provide a free, evidence-based framework to help community pharmacies self-assess and continuously improve their end of life and bereavement care for patients and carers. They will enable community pharmacy teams to work together to develop their own practice. RPS is setting up a professional standard steering group which will have community pharmacy experts, experts within the field of palliative and end of life care, lay members, and healthcare professionals who interact with community pharmacy. Elen Jones, director lead for palliative care work at RPS, said: "RPS has a long-term commitment, striving to ensure that people living with life-limiting conditions who are approaching the end of life have timely access to medicines and clinical support from a skilled pharmacy team. "The development of these standards, in partnership with Marie Curie, is a crucial step to support community pharmacy teams to undertake simple quality improvement measures and build upon the care they already provide to this group of patients and carers."

The Royal Pharmaceutical Society has designated four pharmacists in Scotland as its fellows in recognition of their services to the profession. Pharmacists Paul Forsyth, Alasdair MacIntryre and Peter Mulholland were presented with their certificates at a recent celebration and networking evening at RPS Scotland's building on Melville Street, Edinburgh, while the fellowship of the fourth pharmacist, Findlay Hickey, will be celebrated in 2023. The evening also saw RPS Scotland director Clare Morrison and General Pharmaceutical Council Scotland director Laura Fulton welcome a group of newly qualified pharmacists to the profession. Commenting on the evening's celebration, Morrison said: "It was an absolute pleasure to welcome pharmacists to our building in Edinburgh, the home of pharmacy in Scotland. The mood was so vibrant as people came together to celebrate and to network.

The Royal Pharmaceutical Society (RPS) and the National Institute for Health Research (NIHR), supported by the Association of Pharmacy Technicians UK (APTUK), have launched the first e-learning module in a series for pharmacists and pharmacy technicians to develop their skills and knowledge in research. A total of nine e-learning modules will be released by the end of 2022 to improve research awareness, knowledge and skills for pharmacists and pharmacy technicians with little or no experience of research or research opportunities. The aim is to improve the capacity of pharmacy professionals to provide the evidence base to improve the practice of pharmacy and the health of the public. RPS President Professor Claire Anderson said: "Many pharmacy professionals are rather daunted by getting involved in research. Indeed, we have heard from pharmacists undertaking our post-registration credentialing assessments that the Research domain can present a real challenge.

The Royal Pharmaceutical Society (RPS) England director, Ravi Sharma, has resigned after four years on the job. He will be leaving the RPS in October to join Luton and Dunstable University Hospital, part of the Bedfordshire Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust group, as head of pharmacy. RPS will be commencing the recruitment of a new director for England shortly and in the interim Ravi will be working with Paul Bennett, the RPS CEO, to help in delivery of key objectives and in the appointment of his successor. Paul commented: "Ravi has made a significant contribution to the organisation during his time with us. His drive and enthusiasm for advancing the recognition of the role of the Society itself and of pharmacists and professional practice is probably best reflected by his desire to ensure a real focus on personalised medicines and his work on equality and diversity, workforce wellbeing, and most recently the development of a new vision for pharmacy in England.

Leading pharmacy group Weldricks has strengthened its commitment to providing the highest quality of care to the communities it serves by implementing the RPS Daffodil Quality Improvement Standards for Community Pharmacy. The Royal Pharmaceutical Society (RPS) on Monday (20 November) announced that Weldricks will soon be rolling out the Daffodil Standards across half its stores in South Yorkshire. Developed in partnership with UK charity Marie Curie, the RPS Daffodil Standards serve as a framework for improving the quality of palliative and end-of-life care provided by community pharmacy teams. Amy Marlin, Superintendent Pharmacist of Weldricks, commented that the implementation of the RPS Daffodil Standards is "another step forward in our journey to provide the highest quality of care to the communities we serve."

The Royal Pharmaceutical Society (RPS) has urged people across Scotland to be kind to their pharmacy teams this winter through its campaign called 'Be Kind'. The pharmacies are facing lot of pressure and challenges during winter, RPS has heard from its members that abuse towards pharmacy teams, particularly those in community pharmacy, has 'unfortunately' risen. The campaign has been running throughout December, to promote 'be kind' message to the public at a time when pharmacy services are particularly stretched by winter pressures and other factors, including the recent shortages of antibiotics. "Throughout December, leading figures have provided a series of powerful videos, which all encourage the public to be kind to their pharmacy teams. The campaign has highlighted personal video messages from many figures including Jason Leitch, Scotland's National Clinical Director, Maree Todd, Minister for Public Health, Women's Health and Sport, and Andrew Carruthers, RPS Scottish Pharmacy Board Chair," said RPS.