Julian Claxton/ Alamy Stock Photo
Catriona Sinclair, member of the Royal Pharmaceutical Society’s (RPS’s) Scottish Pharmacy Board, had the chance to highlight the work of remote and rural pharmacists to John Swinney, first minister for Scotland.
On 10 April 2026, Sinclair met Swinney, as well as Maree Todd, minister for drug and alcohol policy, during a visit to a community pharmacy in Alness, in the Scottish Highlands. They were also joined by Gary Buchanan, an advanced clinical pharmacist.
In a press release published on the same day as the visit, the RPS said that Swinney and Todd were “very positive about the role of community pharmacists in the heath and care system”.
Sinclair said that the visit had been “a good opportunity to advocate on behalf of pharmacists and patients and demonstrate to the first minister the fantastic work which pharmacists are engaged in within communities across Scotland, but particularly in remote and rural areas such as across the Scottish Highlands”.
“There was recognition of the role of RPS in developing the new accreditation system and how this would support access to services for patients,” she added.
Elections for Scottish Parliament are due to be held on 7 May 2026.
The RPS has called on the next government in Scotland to take action on behalf of pharmacists and patients across Scotland, focusing on read-and-write access to an integrated digital patient record, workforce planning, a more sustainable approach to medicines and time for pharmacist learning and development.
