Philip Leon Marshall Davies (1938–2026)

On 18 January 2026, Philip Leon Marshall Davies FPharmS, aged 87 years, of Reading, Berkshire. Mr Davies registered with the Society in 1961 and was president of the Society for two terms in the 2000s. He remained a Fellow of the Society until his passing.

Tributes

Pharmacists and the profession of pharmacy owe a great deal to Marshall Davies, who recently passed away, not only as one of the Royal Pharmaceutical Society of Great Britain’s most notable presidents of recent generations, but also as a wise, strong and powerful advocate and influencer on behalf of members.

When one among our members so sadly leaves us — particularly someone with over sixty years of continual membership — it is usual to be complimentary and to use warm words in recognition of all their professional achievements. In Marshall’s case, such words come easily to mind because he truly was a professional giant and a real gentleman. I had the pleasure of first meeting Marshall in the mid 1990’s when he was superintendent pharmacist and a director of Boots and while he chaired the Company Chemists Association. I watched with great interest the way in which he interacted with colleagues and how as a leader he built trust and confidence among those around him. He became somewhat of a role model to me personally, and I was fortunate enough to eventually follow in his footsteps as superintendent of Boots myself, many years later. 

As president of the Society at a period when devolution of powers from Westminster to the three nations was gathering momentum, when an Office of Fair Trading inquiry into the Control of Entry Regulations was underway and when the Society was looking at a change to its Charter (the 2004 Supplemental Charter as it became) and at the same time preparing to launch MedicinesComplete, he had a lot to deal with, and he navigated it all with skill and diplomacy. 

In preparation to write these few words, I found Marshall’s nomination paper, written to appeal to fellow Council members at time of the presidential election in 2001.  

In it he states: “The Society needs to work with other partners to integrate the delivery of healthcare. The emphasis with the other bodies in pharmacy should be to identify and promote common purpose for mutual benefit. Links with other professional groups and healthcare providers, together with patient groups and representatives, should be strengthened.”

How this still resonates today. I think it also illustrates the foresight that Marshall had as a leader, and it is the sentiment in this very statement that he shared with me only months ago when, while in his hospital bed, he made the effort to share his views with me by email on our progress towards becoming the future Royal College of Pharmacy, of which he was a strong supporter. 

The profession will be weaker for his passing, but hopefully it is heartening to think that many will have learnt a lot from working with him in all his many roles. A true leader and a real gentleman.

My deepest condolences go to Jean and to all Marshall’s family and friends. 

Paul Bennett, chief executive of the Royal Pharmaceutical Society

My wife and I have known Marshall and Jean as professional colleagues and friends for over 40 years, and we were sad to hear the news of his death. 

Marshall was born in Swansea on 5 May 1938. After leaving Swansea Grammar School, he became an apprentice at Boots Cash Chemists (Western) Ltd, before going on to the School of Pharmacy in Cardiff.

He returned to Boots and managed several pharmacies in Swansea, Nottingham and Birkenhead. The story goes (probably apocryphal) that he used to arrive at a pharmacy with rolled umbrella and black bowler hat, which he skimmed accurately onto the standard-issue hat stand from the doorway. 

His successful rapid progression within Boots included territorial general manager, director of operations and business general manager of healthcare. He was appointed pharmacy superintendent in 1992.

He upheld consistently high professional standards in demanding high-pressure commercial roles, without compromise. Marshall earned significant respect from his colleagues within and outside the company. He retired in 1999 but didn’t stop working. 

Outside of Boots, some of his distinguished roles included chair of the Pharmacy Practice Research Trust, director of Newark and Sherwood NHS Trust, director of the Science and Technology Council, member of the Worshipful Company of Apothecaries, director of the Company Chemists’ Association, member of Pharmaceutical Services Negotiating Committee and a magistrate on the Nottingham Bench. 

Much has already been said about the turbulent time when Marshall was president of the Royal Pharmaceutical Society from 2000 to 2003. It was without precedent in terms of the alternative futures being debated for the Society at that time. Debates were often heated and views irreconcilable. 

It was a demanding and acrimonious period of immense pressure for anyone to be president. History should record that Marshall bought a calm, rigorous leadership, together with integrity, to a challenging period for the Society. 

Marshall and Jean married on 4 February 1967, and next year would have been their diamond wedding. Our thoughts and condolences are with Jean, their daughter Alexandra, son-in-law Philip and their two grandsons. 

Digby Emson, honorary professor of pharmacy at Nottingham University