Wes Mountain/The Pharmaceutical Journal
More than 500 people attended ‘roadshow’ events held in October and November 2024 by the Royal Pharmaceutical Society (RPS) to provide further detail on its proposals to become a royal college.
The roadshows, which were held online and across Great Britain, were aimed to share the wider context of the proposals and to invite questions from attendees about what the proposals would mean for members and the pharmacy profession.
In a report published on 10 January 2025, the RPS has shared many of the questions that were asked of the RPS leadership team and elected officials during the events, as well as the Society’s responses.
Attendees wanted to know more about the reasons for the proposed changes, what the changes would mean for the future role of the RPS, the impact on members and about credentialing, among other factors.
One question asked about the role of the General Pharmaceutical Council under the proposed changes. In its response, the RPS said that the two bodies will continue to fulfil their separate roles as the regulator and the professional leadership body.
“The relationship is particularly important when set against the backdrop of changes in the role of pharmacy within the health system and the establishment of professional and regulatory standards,” the RPS added.
There were also several questions about credentialing, with the RPS noting that “credentialing is a central tenet of how [the] RPS (as the new ‘Royal College of Pharmacy’) will drive change for pharmacy and emerged as a significant and important theme in discussions at the events”.
It is expected that a vote on the proposals will be put to members in the first quarter of 2025, with a ‘Yes’ needed from two-thirds of voting members for the vote to pass.
Claire Anderson, president of the RPS, said: “These roadshows have provided an invaluable opportunity to connect with members and non-members and hear their thoughts about the proposed changes and what becoming a royal college would mean to them and for pharmacy.
“We are grateful for the enthusiasm, insights and constructive feedback shared by everyone who came to one of the events. This dialogue is vital as we move forward with our proposals for change and seek to elevate pharmacy and champion our collective impact on patient care.”
More information about the proposals can be found on the RPS website.
Members wishing to continue sharing their views on the proposals can get in touch with the RPS team at feedback@rpharms.com.
1 comment
You must be logged in to post a comment.
I like the Royal College/Society focus on education, assessment and on continuing professional development particularly via an online experience. I've attended online webinars for things like dermatology, paediatrics, woman's health suitable for community pharmacy. These were great, accessible, short enough and productive and got the certificate.
- This is what I would like to see more of, content that's relevant and useful, content that's accessible at times for a working professional group.
- I'm not sure what credentialing entails but I'm not in favour of overly time-consuming efforts simply to prove what you've learnt, just want to learn for community pharmacy, although this could be good for independent prescribing.
I like the concept of how a Royal College would be a recognised entity in healthcare and have influence on policymakers.