Pharmacy in England stands at a system-defining moment

The move to independent prescribing at registration and the transition of the Royal Pharmaceutical Society (RPS) toward royal college status are not incremental developments, these are structural reforms that will shape our profession across community, primary care, hospital, industry and academia for a generation.

This change affects every career stage.

For foundation pharmacists, it raises expectations of clinical autonomy from day one; for established practitioners, it reshapes scope of practice and accountability; and for advanced and consultant pharmacists, it demands clearer credentialing, recognition and system leadership roles.

The question is not whether pharmacy will change, rather it is whether we will strategically shape that change.

A cross-sector prescribing workforce must be supported by:

• Nationally consistent supervision and governance frameworks;

• Structured post-registration development pathways;

• Clear transition points from foundation to advanced and consultant practice;

• Alignment with NHS workforce planning and commissioning models;

• Equitable support for community, primary care and hospital pharmacists.

As the RPS evolves toward royal college status, it must establish itself as the authoritative standard-setting body across the full professional continuum. That means:

• Defining credentialing pathways that are portable across sectors;

• Influencing national workforce and prescribing policy;

• Ensuring expansion of responsibility is matched by investment in training and infrastructure;

• Embedding research, education and leadership development at every career stage.

If we fail to take a coordinated, policy-led approach, we risk widening sector divides and creating inconsistent standards. If we succeed, we can unify the profession under a shared clinical identity and a coherent career framework.

I am standing for the English Pharmacy Board to help deliver that strategic alignment across sectors, across career stages and across the health system. I have extensive experience working across boundaries of sectors while closely supporting collaboration between sectors in research, education and clinical leadership. For me, it’s not just about ideas it’s about effective delivery and tangible outcomes.

We need a royal college that is inclusive of every pharmacist, ambitious for our clinical future and influential at the highest levels of policy.

This is our opportunity to define pharmacy’s role not just within services but within the structure of the NHS itself.

I would be honoured to have your support, please do vote.

Sarah Baig

Candidate for the inaugural elections to the English Pharmacy Advisory Council