Wes Mountain/The Pharmaceutical Journal
The Royal Pharmaceutical Society (RPS) Assembly held a meeting on 16 July 2025 via Teams.
Matters on the agenda for discussion included the future of RPS Faculty, recruitment to the RPS Science and Research Committee (SRC), motions submitted to the Annual General Meeting (AGM), updates about the UK Pharmacy Professional Leadership Advisory Board (UKPPLAB) and the Society’s move towards becoming a royal college.
Apologies were received from Tase Oputu, chair of the RPS English Pharmacy Board, and RPS Assembly member Ruth Edwards.
Faculty
Karen Baxter, deputy chief executive of the Royal Pharmaceutical Society and managing director of Pharmaceutical Press, said the RPS’s Education and Standards Committee was recommending that the RPS Faculty programme be closed. Launched in 2013, Faculty allowed members to gain recognition for an advanced professional level by submitting a portfolio of their achievements. A total of 371 people had been recognised through Faculty in that time, but in recent years — and particularly since the launch of credentialing — that number has dropped off.
The Society has developed a roadmap for closure of the programme and a focus on credentialing, Baxter said. Those who have achieved Faculty recognition would retain their post-nominals, while those partway through the process would be given until 31 March 2026 to complete it. In addition, continued assurance of professional practice for those in patient-facing roles would be provided through credentialing. Later in 2025, the Society will explore how credentialing can support those in non-patient facing roles.
Geraldine McCaffrey, RPS Assembly member and chair of the RPS Welsh Pharmacy Board, noted that while some roles may not be “patient-facing”, they are “patient-focused”. She said she was pleased to see there was a plan to look into credentialing for these roles. McCaffrey added that she would like to see an update at the next RPS Assembly meeting, “so we have reassurance that this is being taken forward”.
Jonathan Burton, RPS Assembly member and chair of the RPS Scottish Pharmacy Board, said that Faculty “did pave the way for credentialing, and we can reflect on it with pride, but also appreciate the learnings and challenges”. “I feel it is right time to close this chapter,” he added.
SRC recruitment
Amira Guirguis, chair of the SRC, requested the Assembly’s support to recruit new members to the committee. The SRC should have 20 members, but at the moment it has 15, which “limits our ability to provide timely responses and science-led input into RPS activity”, she said.
The Assembly was supportive of recruitment. Brendon Jiang, Assembly member and RPS treasurer, said he was “delighted to see the level of media response and consultations you have contributed to”.
AGM motions update
The Assembly discussed three motions that had been submitted to the RPS AGM, which took place on 4 June 2025.
These were to ask:
- The RPS to develop a public policy on AI and copyright, to safeguard Pharmaceutical Press content and support authors;
- The RPS to update its resources on raising concerns to include clear guidance on pharmacists’ responsibilities and best practices when receiving concerns;
- The Assembly to explain why remote access was not made available for the joint National Pharmacy Boards meeting in June 2024.
For the first motion, it was agreed that a position statement could be explored and that members could be signposted to the Society’s current policy on AI and to the expertise of expert organisations in AI and copyright in publishing.
For the second motion, the Assembly heard that the RPS already has processes for individual pharmacists to support them to raise concerns where appropriate, and that RPS members with insurance can access legal advice and helplines. It was agreed that members could be reminded of how the Society develops existing guidance.
For the final motion — which did not pass at the AGM — the Assembly was reminded of the RPS’s response to the motion (published on pages 63 and 64 of the Assembly agenda papers). McCaffrey said it was “important to have access [to meetings], and I am glad we debated it”, adding that the RPS “endeavour that members are able to observe meetings”.
UKPPLAB update
Sir Hugh Taylor, chair of the UKPPLAB, said that the board had created a co-creation liaison group, which includes UKPPLAB members and leaders from the RPS. The group will enable transparency and interaction as the RPS moves towards becoming a royal college and help keep all stakeholders informed of developments. The group also provides a forum for discussion between pharmacy professional leadership bodies and specialist professional groups around co-creating the future of pharmacy professional leadership in the UK.
Sir Hugh announced that he would be stepping down as chair of the UKPPLAB at the end of September 2025. In closing remarks, he said that his time as chair had “invigorated me with thought that pharmacy can and should be a stronger voice in health service”. Sir Hugh also exhorted the RPS to “be bold in your approach to establishing this royal college”.
Constitution and governance update
Baxter said that the Society was currently working on how it defines publishing as a subsidiary, as well as how to manage the “new shape of governance”. She also said that there would be a series of member events throughout September and October 2025 to hear views, and also a member survey. A feedback session will be held at the RPS annual conference on 7 November 2025.
AOB
Ahead of the meeting, Oputu had proposed that the Society should either reaffirm or update its 2023 statement, calling for humanitarian law to be respected in the Gaza–Israel conflict.
It was agreed that a new statement would be issued, which would call on governments and others with influence to address the humanitarian crises. The statement would also reaffirm that the RPS will continue to provide all refugee pharmacists a year’s free membership, and that it was aware that the conflict in Gaza is not the only terrible situation.
The next Assembly meeting will take place on 18–19 November 2025.
