Claire Anderson elected as chair of English Pharmacy Board

Claire Anderson, professor of social pharmacy at the University of Nottingham, has been elected to chair the Royal Pharmaceutical Society’s (RPS) English Pharmacy Board (EPB). She takes over from Sandra Gidley who, in April 2019, announced that she would step down from the role.

The vote was held during an open meeting of the EPB held at the RPS London headquarters on 19 June 2019.

Anderson said that she felt “very humbled and privileged” to be taking the position.

She added that she hopes the EPB members “are all going to work with me, because I can’t do this alone”.

“This is a board of many talents, and a staff of many talents. What we can do together is what’s important.”

Anderson, who was chair of the 2018 FIP World Congress host committee, has been a member of the EPB since 2012, and held the position of vice chair between 2015 and 2017.

She was nominated alongside Hemant Patel, with fellow board members Tracey Thornley and Nadia Bukhari proposing and seconding her nomination.

Patel’s nomination was proposed by Thorrun Govind and seconded by Sibby Buckle.

Martin Astbury, former president of the RPS, was affirmed as vice chair. Astbury was the only nomination for the role, for which he was proposed by Mahendra Patel and seconded by Ash Soni.

Astbury said that he would have been happy to work with either proposed chair, both being “exceptional” candidates.

“My job is to support Claire, and I will do all in my power within that role — while also holding the chair and the executive to account,” he said.

At the same meeting, board members elected Sandra Gidley, David Carter and Sibby Buckle to the RPS Assembly.