Paul Stuart / The Pharmaceutical Journal
Tase Oputu, chair of the Royal Pharmaceutical Society’s (RPS’s) English Pharmacy Board, has been elected as president of the future Royal College of Pharmacy (RCPharm).
In a statement published on 27 March 2026, the RPS announced that the newly established national pharmacy advisory councils for England, Scotland and Wales had jointly elected Oputu as the College’s first president.
Oputu was elected as a member of the RPS’s English Pharmacy Board in June 2021 and has served as board chair since June 2023.
Oputu’s career spans more than 30 years. She currently works as associate director for medicines optimisation, medicines optimisation and medicines value and performance at NHS Kent and Medway Integrated Care Board.
Previously, she was lead pharmacist for medicines commissioning and pathways at Barts Health NHS Trust.
Within their respective councils, the national advisory councils have also elected a vice president, who will serve as chair of the council, a vice chair and a member to sit on the Senate of the College, see Tables 1, 2 and 3.
The statement explained that the vice presidents and vice chairs will sit as members of the Senate, which will be led by the president.
The Senate will “help determine the strategic direction of pharmacy professional leadership and advise the Trustee Board on professional matters”, it added.
Claire Anderson, president of the RPS, commented: “I warmly welcome Tase as the first president of the RCPharm and wish her every success. Her election marks a key stage in the formation of the College’s governance and leadership structure as we work to establish the new royal college as a modern and unifying professional leadership body for pharmacy.”
Oputu said: “I’m delighted to have been elected as the first-ever president of the RCPharm. The creation of the college presents a unique chance to shape the future of pharmacy.
“As president, I will focus on establishing the college as a confident voice, developing our five-year strategy, rebuilding engagement and championing inclusion.”
In her final president’s report for the RPS Assembly, held on 25 March 2026, Anderson wrote: “It has been an absolute privilege to be president of the RPS and to lead it at such an exciting time. When I first stood for election to the English Pharmacy Board, my letter to The Pharmaceutical Journal was about [the] RPS becoming a royal college; it has taken time and effort, but we are now at the threshold of an exciting new era.
“Highlights of my presidency include the Luther Pendragon review of our communication, which lead to changes in member engagement and more open decision-making. This resulted in commissioning the Firetail constitutional and governance review, which ultimately lead to where we are today, at the dawn of a new era, as we transform to become a charity and the RCPharm.”
Members of the three national pharmacy advisory councils cast their leadership votes through the independent online voting platform Mi-Voice.
