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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) 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 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 (RPS) in collaboration with Health Education England's Centre for Advancing Practice and the Centre for Pharmacy Post Graduate Education (CPPE) will provide a pharmacy-specific professional development pathway for advanced pharmacist practice. Successful completion of the pathway, assured through the RPS Core Advanced Pharmacist Curriculum assessment, will result in pharmacists being recognised by RPS as an advanced pharmacist, along with the awarding of HEE's Centre for Advancing Practice's 'Advanced' digital badge, demonstrating the quality assurance of their advanced practice preparation to patients, families, carers, and other healthcare professionals. The first participants in a fully funded, supported e-portfolio pathway to recognise advanced pharmacist practice in England will get underway in March 2023 This new programme is an important step in creating a clear postgraduate career structure for pharmacists in England. The innovative approach provides funding from HEE's Centre for Advancing Practice in 2023-24 for 300 pharmacists in England who are near to, or already practicing at, an advanced level, to enable them to receive supervision and support in building their RPS Core Advanced e-Portfolio from CPPE's pharmacy education supervisors.

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.

The Royal Pharmaceutical Society (RPS) has launched a new position paper on 'How pharmacy can do more to tackle health inequalities'. The RPS paper aims to help pharmacists and pharmacy teams to take action against health inequalities. It is designed to provide a reference source for pharmacy teams to use over time to continually improve services. RPS said: "Like all health services, these pharmacy services do not always reach everyone. Often it is people who are suffering the greatest inequalities that find it most difficult to access the services that are currently available. This can be for a large number of reasons including poverty, education, being part of a group vulnerable to exclusion, language and power." Therefore, the RPS paper focuses not on "what" services pharmacy provides but "how" they are provided, with an aim of making them more accessible for people who are currently struggling. Claire Anderson, President of Royal Pharmaceutical Society said: "It's fantastic that pharmacy teams in every sector of pharmacy across Great Britain are providing care that can improve health inequalities, with many patients able to access pharmacy services very easily. Brilliant examples of this shine through in the paper.

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.

Six pharmacists based in Scotland were acknowledged by the profession this week during a celebratory event held at the home of Scottish pharmacy, the RPS building on Melville Street, Edinburgh. Four pharmacists have been officially conferred with Fellowships of RPS for their significant contributions to the practice of pharmacy. The recipients are: Richard Lowrie Lynn Morrison Deborah Steven Audrey Thompson Two pharmacists, Katherine Davidson and Emily Kennedy, have attained accreditation as consultant pharmacists. This designation is granted in recognition of their demonstrated expertise at a senior level, spanning clinical practice, leadership, research, and education, RPS said in a statement.

The Royal Pharmaceutical Society (RPS) and Pharmacist Support hosted a roundtable on the impact of pharmacy workforce wellbeing on patient safety on Wednesday (17 May). It also released its annual Workforce Wellbeing Survey which showed continued pressures on pharmacy teams. The discussion explored the actions needed to support staff so they can continue providing safe and effective patient care and included representatives from the NHS, professional bodies, employers, trade unions, education and regulators. A report of the roundtable will be published in the summer. Amandeep Doll, RPS Head of Professional Belonging, said: "We know that pharmacy teams go above and beyond for their patients, but are also under enormous pressure. "Now more than ever, we need to strive to make the pharmacy profession more inclusive and ensure that everyone's wellbeing is supported. "It is vital that we do all we can to encourage people into pharmacy and to support them so they can enhance their skills, develop their careers, and continue to deliver high-quality patient care. "This discussion was a welcome step and showed that making a difference for staff wellbeing requires a concerted effort from stakeholders across the whole of pharmacy.

The Royal Pharmaceutical Society (RPS) has called on employers, governments and NHS organisations to provide pharmacists with regular protected learning time (PLT) within working hours to develop their skills in clinical delivery, education, research and leadership. RPS workforce wellbeing survey showed an average 42 per cent of pharmacists were not given any PLT, a figure which rose to 55 per cent in community pharmacy. Most were unable to engage in professional development activities as part of their working day because of their responsibility to deliver frontline clinical services to patients. This means learning is often undertaken outside of working hours, increasing pressure on individuals and impacting their work/life balance. The survey showed that 48 per cent of respondents identified a lack of PLT as negatively affecting their mental health and wellbeing and that 88 per cent were at high risk of burnout. PLT improves the quality of patient care through professional practice and reflection, helping to develop insights, maintain and refine care standards and increase confidence. It facilitates continuous professional development (CPD), ensuring that skills and knowledge are up to date.

The Royal Pharmaceutical Society (RPS) has published a new professional guidance for prescribing practice on Monday (June 6) which it says will be "for the benefit of all independent prescribers across the UK". Based on collaboration with multi-professional stakeholders, the document is a guidance tool for prescribers wanting to expand their prescribing scope of practice. Commissioned by the Welsh government, the document was developed through an expert group with representatives from many healthcare professions, including from Higher Education institutions, professional bodies, regulatory bodies, the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence, NHS Education for Scotland, Health Education and Improvement Wales, and representatives from hospital, community and GP practice. RPS president Claire Anderson said: "It's fantastic to see the growth in prescribing, both across the profession and more widely, to improve patient care.

The Royal Pharmaceutical Society (RPS) has secured a contract with the National Institute for Health Research (NIHR) to deliver a suite of e-learning modules to help pharmacy professionals "become more research active". The new online resources - due to be launched next summer - are aimed at pharmacists and pharmacy technicians who may not have followed an academic career path or have had little or no experience of research delivery. The e-learning package will allow them to gain new skills so they feel more confident to engage with research and research opportunities. Nine modules are being developed covering how to transform ideas into a research project, find and evaluate evidence and choose the appropriate research methods whilst learning how to apply for research funding and deal with governance issues and publication.

Pharmacy professionals to be included as key stakeholders in the implementation, delivery and evaluation of a wide range of genomic services, said the Royal Pharmaceutical Society (RPS). RPS's statement has been developed in collaboration with pharmacy organisations who have co-badged the report, such as the British Oncology Pharmacy Association, the UK Clinical Pharmacy Association, Association of Pharmacy Technicians and the College of Mental Health Pharmacy. It looks at current and future roles for pharmacy professionals in genomic medicine across many aspects of practice such as person-centred care and collaboration, professional practice, education, leadership, management and research. Pharmacists and pharmacy technicians in the UK have already established roles in the application of genomic medicine in some areas of practice, such as antimicrobial stewardship and infectious diseases, and the management of certain genetic conditions, such as cystic fibrosis. The society believes, the current role of pharmacy professionals in genomics can be expanded upon in the future to both lead and support many relevant aspects of genomic implementation. These are described across all healthcare sectors, within the Genome UK strategy produced by the UK Government, and within the implementation plans published in England, Scotland and Wales. Lead for Pharmacogenomics at RPS Sophie Harding said: "Pharmacy professionals are the gatekeepers of medication safety and efficacy across all areas of healthcare. They are skilled at interpreting complex scientific data and use evidence-based medicine to maximise the benefits of treatments for patients, whilst supporting shared decision-making with patients and the multidisciplinary team.

The Royal Pharmaceutical Society (RPS) and National Pharmacy Association (NPA) have both urged the new health secretary Steve Barclay to back the 'pharmacy first' approach in England as mentioned by his predecessor on numerous occasions. "Sajid Javid recognised the vital role of community pharmacy and the potential of a 'Pharmacy First' to support patient access to care. I would urge the new Health Secretary to see this through to completion," said chair of RPS in England Thorrun Govind. Thorrun hopes the new health secretary will engage with pharmacy leaders about how we can make the most of our health and care workforce to support the NHS recovery, including reducing health inequalities, managing the growing cost of long-term conditions, and utilising the enhanced skills of Pharmacist Independent Prescribers. Commenting on the new appointment, she said: "This is a crucial time for the future of health and care - with continued pressures on teams, changes to NHS structures and organisations, and the need for long-term investment in the workforce. "With a 'refresh' of the NHS Long-Term Plan and the Government's workforce plan expected later this year, these must support a more ambitious approach to advancing the clinical role of pharmacists across the NHS to better meet changing patient demand, backed by investment in pharmacy education and training.

The Royal Pharmaceutical Society (RPS) has called for action on differential degree awarding and registration assessment attainment gaps for Black trainees in initial pharmacy education and training. According to a new report published by the RPS on Tuesday (6 February), there's a pharmacy degree awarding gap of eight per cent and a registration assessment attainment gap of over 22 per cent between Black and White trainees. The variation in pharmacy attainment for Black trainees was first recorded by the General Pharmaceutical Council (GPhC) in 2013, and the Pharmaceutical Journal has been tracking the awarding gap at undergraduate level. Even after a decade, significant differences exist in the awarding and attainment gaps for Black students and trainees compared to their White counterparts, the report said.

Royal Pharmaceutical Society (RPS) Scotland has submitted its evidence to the Health, Social Care and Sport Committee's inquiry into 'Healthcare in remote and rural areas.' The Committee had sought views on what policies and actions would be most effective in addressing the issues people face when accessing healthcare in these areas. During the evidence session today (19 December), Laura Wilson, Director for RPS Scotland, highlighted the challenges faced by pharmacists and pharmacy in remote and rural areas, as well as provided some of the solutions for ensuring a sustainable pharmacy workforce. At present, people living in remote and rural areas of Scotland are required to travel to Glasgow or Aberdeen to undertake pharmacy training. Laura underscored the need to develop alternative education and training pathways, such as "grow your own" models, to support remote and rural areas to develop and retain local pharmacists.

Working towards its five-year strategy, the Royal Pharmaceutical Society (RPS) has put some plan in place to change its existing structure at the executive level, which could potentially render some senior positions redundant. Though the process is in nascent stage, "two roles have been identified at potential risk of redundancy," RPS said in a statement on Thursday (March 3) afternoon, adding: "This is very much at proposal stage and no final decisions or outcomes have been reached."0 It didn't specify which two roles were going to be axed, saying: "We are unable to go into the specifics of the process for individuals due to its confidential nature, but we will of course go through a fair, reasonable and confidential consultation process and are supporting the individuals involved. "No one should be in any doubt that our commitment to education and the profession's development remains the highest priority for us, and equally support for our members, thought leadership and advocacy are core to what we do as a professional leadership body."

The Royal Pharmaceutical Society (RPS) has confirmed it will respond to UK Commission's 'call for evidence' on pharmacy professional leadership. The commission wants to ensure the professions are well equipped, with a voice to help shape the future, and enabled to develop through sharing and learning from best practice. The UK Commission on Pharmacy Professional Leadership has been set up by the chief pharmaceutical officers of England, Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland. It will produce recommendations for the future of pharmacy professional leadership in the UK. The commission is co-chaired by Nigel Clarke, former chair of the General Pharmaceutical Council, and Professor Dame Jane Dacre, professor of medical education at University College London's Medical School. The commission will be hosting a webinar and has urged the associations and individuals to take part in 'call for evidence' which has been launched to inform and develop its work. A webinar in England will take place on Wednesday 7 September 6:30 - 8 pm. In Scotland it will be organised on Tuesday 6 September 7-8:30 pm and in Wales it will be hosted on Thursday 8 September 7-8:30 pm.