Philip Leon Marshall Davies (1938–2026)

Philip Leon Marshall Davies FRPharmS, past president of the Royal Pharmaceutical Society (RPS), has died aged 87 years.

Davies was a forward-looking president, who oversaw significant changes in the Society and the pharmacy sector itself. Writing in The Pharmaceutical Journal in 2001, he described the changing relationship between patients and healthcare professionals, understanding that patients now “rightly expect to have a say in their health care”. 

Before “patient-centred care” was a widely used expression, he wrote that “patient-centred partnerships, founded on the principles of concordance, are being developed in acknowledgement that patients themselves are in the driving seat where their treatment is concerned”. 

Davies obtained his pharmacy degree from Cardiff University. Sharing memories in a 2019 publication marking 100 years of the Welsh School of Pharmacy — now known as the Cardiff School of Pharmacy and Pharmaceutical Sciences — he recalled his student days: “We had a chemistry practical on Friday evenings from 6 until 9: afterwards we regularly retired to the Woodville [pub] for refreshment! Some care had to be taken because we had a dispensing practical from 9 to 12 on Saturday morning.” 

Davies’ pharmacy career began in 1961, when he registered as a pharmacist and took up employment with Boots the Chemist as a pharmacist and relief store manager. He would remain with Boots throughout his career, where his abilities saw him progress quickly through the ranks.  

After holding a range of managerial positions, in 1985 he was appointed as Boots director of operations. That same year, his drive to support the wider profession saw him take up the role of chair at the Company Chemists’ Association (CCA).

A spokesperson for the CCA said that Davies was a “highly respected leader in community pharmacy and played a huge part in advancing pharmacy practice and professional leadership”. The CCA was “saddened” to learn of his death, the spokesperson added: “Our thoughts are with his family at this time.”

Throughout the 1980s and 1990s, Davies continued to shape the direction of Boots. He was promoted to business general manager of healthcare in 1998. Shortly afterwards, in 1992, he became pharmacy superintendent and was elected to the company board. 

Davies retired from Boots in 1998. A spokesperson for the company said he is “fondly remembered for his unwavering dedication to patient care and professional excellence”.

Commenting on his “exceptional” career, they said: “He exemplified leadership, integrity and a deep commitment to the advancement of community pharmacy. 

“He supported and inspired countless colleagues throughout his career, leaving a lasting and positive impact on the profession. Marshall’s contributions will be remembered with great respect and gratitude.”

Continuing his service to the profession in retirement, Davies was, in 1999, elected as vice president of the then Royal Pharmaceutical Society of Great Britain (RPSGB). A year later, in 2000, he was elected as RPSGB president, a post he would hold until 2003. 

Paying tribute to Davies, Paul Bennett, chief executive of the RPS, said: “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 Medicines Complete, he had a lot to deal with, and he navigated it all with skill and diplomacy.”

Following his RPSGB career, Davies continued to contribute his expertise across a variety of expert bodies. Between 2007 and 2023, he sat on the board of directors at the Diamond Light Source, a synchrotron used across scientific research applications, including pharmaceuticals. He also acted as treasurer for the Science Media Centre, which supports journalists in their coverage of scientific issues. 

In 2015, Davies was awarded the Freedom of the City of London for services to pharmacy. 

“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,” Bennett said. 

“A true leader and a real gentleman.”