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The Royal Pharmaceutical Society (RPS), the professional leadership body for pharmacists and pharmaceutical scientists in Great Britain, has today announced its proposal to transition into a royal college, becoming the Royal College of Pharmacy. This move follows an 18-month independent review of the RPS constitution and governance and is aimed at strengthening the RPS's leadership role to better support its members. The organisation proposes to enhance its core activities in education, assessment, credentialing, and setting professional standards, ultimately benefiting patients and the public. Under the proposed new structure, the RPS's knowledge business, Pharmaceutical Press, would become a wholly owned subsidiary called Pharmaceutical Press Ltd, accountable to the charitable body of the Royal College of Pharmacy. RPS President Professor Claire Anderson said: "Pharmacy is changing rapidly and the expectations placed upon pharmacists and the wider pharmacy team will have profound repercussions in terms of delivering patient care.

In September, the Royal Pharmaceutical Society (RPS), the professional leadership body for pharmacists and pharmaceutical scientists in Great Britain, announced its proposal to transition into a Royal College. This significant step, which came following an 18-month independent review of the RPS constitution and governance, aims to strengthen the RPS's leadership role, with the ultimate goal of delivering greater benefits to patients and the public. In an exclusive interview with Pharmacy Business, Tase Oputu, chair of the RPS English Pharmacy Board, discusses the key reasons behind the proposed changes, the potential impact on pharmacists and patients, and her personal journey as the first Black Chair of the RPS Board. Benefits for pharmacists and patients When asked how this transition would benefit pharmacists and patients, Tase says, "I'm excited about RPS' proposals for change. In my view, becoming a Royal College would elevate the status of the profession and strengthen our ability to raise the profile of pharmacy, advocate for change and advance the safe and effective use of medicines for the benefit of patients and the public."

The Royal Pharmaceutical Society (RPS) has responded to the concerns raised by the Guild of Healthcare Pharmacists (GHP) about their proposals to become a Royal College. On behalf of the Guild Council, Rob Connah, president of GHP, recently wrote an open letter to the RPS seeking clarity on the potential impacts of this transition on career progression, time commitments, and other relevant considerations. In response to the Guild Council's inquiries regarding credentialing, RPS chief executive Paul Bennett emphasised that the key purpose of credentialing is to "protect the public and the integrity of the pharmacy profession through assuring patient-focused pharmacists working at advancing levels of post-registration practice." "Defining and assuring post-registration professional standards is a fundamental activity for a royal college and thus fully aligned with our proposals for change," he added. The RPS highlighted the benefits that credentialing can provide both pharmacists and the system.

The National Pharmacy Association (NPA) has appointed Paul Rees MBE as its new Chief Executive, with his role commencing on November 27th. Rees, currently serving as the Chief Executive of the Royal College of Psychiatrists and having held various roles throughout his career, will succeed Mark Lyonette, who is retiring, NPA said in a statement. "We anticipate Paul joining the NPA after a thorough recruitment process affirmed his suitability," said Nick Kaye, Chair of NPA. "Throughout his career, including his role at the Royal College of Psychiatrists, he has made a significant impact and achieved concrete changes in healthcare and society. I would also like to express my appreciation to Mark for his work as Chief Executive since 2018. He still has important tasks to complete at the NPA before his retirement." Rees has also held key positions at prominent organisations, including the Ramblers Association, National Housing Federation, Charities Aid Foundation, Association of University Teachers, and the , besides being the Head of Communications at the Home Office.

There is no doubt that the pandemic has changed the way healthcare professionals work within the primary care setting. The advent of Covid-19 meant that we all had to rapidly modify the way we supported and met the needs of patients, some of whom saw the services they usually took for granted, virtually cease overnight. There are around 15 million people in England living with long-term health conditions including asthma. These people have the greatest healthcare needs of the whole population with 50 per cent of all GP appointments and 70 per cent of all bed days taken by this cohort of patients, and their treatment and care absorbing 70 per cent of acute and primary care budgets in England. This situation isn't going to improve any time soon. In the past, most people had a single condition, today multi-morbidity is becoming the norm. At the start of the pandemic, the Royal College of General Practice and British Medical Association issued guidance to practices on prioritising workload. This included the importance of maintaining long-term condition reviews in asthma, COPD and diabetes, along with appropriate transition of at-risk warfarin patients. These reviews were deemed as essential workstreams for patients considered to be at high risk. Traditionally, the unique skills set of a pharmacist has meant that we have played a major role in supporting these patients. I work with a team of over 90 clinical pharmacists who, in partnership with individual practices, PCNs, CCGs and STPs, help with the long-term management of people with chronic conditions. But the onset of Covid-19 meant that we now had to plug a potential gap in service provision, and quickly.