Wes Mountain/The Royal Pharmaceutical Society
King Charles III has approved the Royal Pharmaceutical Society’s (RPS’s) application to amend its Royal Charter.
The King’s approval, announced by the RPS on 11 March 2026, means that the RPS will become the Royal College of Pharmacy on 15 April 2026.
In an order published on 10 March 2026, the Privy Council said: “His Majesty has approved the amendments to the Supplemental Charter of the Royal Pharmaceutical Society of Great Britain as set out in the schedule to this order, to take effect on 15 April 2026, or such other date to be notified by the clerk of the council.”
In March 2025, 71% of the 6,144 RPS members who participated in a special resolution vote supported proposed changes to the RPS’s Royal Charter and a transition to royal college status.
The proposed changes to becoming a royal college include registration as a charity and the creation of a wholly-owned subsidiary for its publishing activities.
The Society’s application to become a registered charity is currently with the two Great British charity regulators: the Charity Commission in England and Wales and the Office of the Scottish Charity Regulator (OSCR) in Scotland.
A statement from the RPS said it was “hopeful of positive news on this matter in the near future”.
Claire Anderson, president of the RPS, commented: “The approval by the Privy Council of the proposed changes to our Royal Charter means that we will become the Royal College of Pharmacy on 15 April 2026 as planned.
“Now, working together, we have the opportunity to build a royal college that supports excellence in practice, advances the safe and effective use of medicines and leverages the prestige of royal colleges to engage more impactfully with policymakers, the public and fellow healthcare professionals.”
Paul Bennett, chief executive of the RPS, who will step down following the transition, said: “The launch of the new royal college in April [2026] will be the culmination of a complex and rigorous set of legal and governance processes that will ensure the new royal college is compliant, well regulated and properly established.
“It will also be the first step on the new journey towards an inclusive and influential royal college for pharmacy.”
The RPS also invited members to share their reflections of the Society before the change.
In a statement published on 12 March 2026, it said: “RPS members and Fellows are now invited to share their reflections, milestones and personal experiences from 2010–2026 online to help create a collective record of the RPS years, capturing the insight and experience of those who shaped this era.
“Selected submissions will be curated into ‘The RPS Years: 2010–2026’, a new online exhibition in the ‘Heritage’ section of the forthcoming Royal College of Pharmacy website. Contributors can choose to be acknowledged on a dedicated thank you page.”
The RPS has also asked members and Fellows to share their feedback on the new regulations for the Royal College of Pharmacy.
“[These regulations] mark a significant milestone in the organisation’s transition and will provide the framework of rules, guidelines and procedures that will underpin the governance and operation of the new royal college and charity,” it said.
The deadline for submitting feedback is 29 March 2026.
The inaugural elections for the Royal College of Pharmacy’s three national pharmacy advisory councils closed on 11 March 2026, with results expected on 13 March 2026.
In November 2025, Joe Irvin was announced as the first chair of the Royal College of Pharmacy board of trustees.
