RPS to respond to 'call for evidence' on pharmacy professional leadership

The Royal Pharmaceutical Society (RPS) has confirmed it will respond to UK Commission’s ‘call for evidence’ on pharmacy professional leadership.

The commission wants to ensure the professions are well equipped, with a voice to help shape the future, and enabled to develop through sharing and learning from best practice.

The UK Commission on Pharmacy Professional Leadership has been set up by the chief pharmaceutical officers of England, Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland. It will produce recommendations for the future of pharmacy professional leadership in the UK.

The commission is co-chaired by Nigel Clarke, former chair of the General Pharmaceutical Council, and Professor Dame Jane Dacre, professor of medical education at University College London's Medical School.

The commission will be hosting a webinar and has urged the associations and individuals to take part in ‘call for evidence’ which has been launched to inform and develop its work.

A webinar in England will take place on Wednesday 7 September 6:30 – 8 pm. In Scotland it will be organised on Tuesday 6 September 7-8:30 pm and in Wales it will be hosted on Thursday 8 September 7-8:30 pm.

The RPS has welcomed the scrutiny of pharmacy professional leadership and the opportunity presented by the independent commission following a very positive and productive first meeting.

It said: “We will respond to the call for evidence issued by the commission today and will engage across the organisation with our boards and assembly to shape our submission.”

RPS agrees that professional leadership needs to evolve in step with developments in patient needs and service provision. Future professional leadership needs to be independent, proactive, challenging, forward-looking and always with patient benefit as the first consideration.

“We are open to change and evolution. The Assembly recently confirmed it will review RPS governance, following the conclusion of the Independent Commission, to ensure it remains fit for purpose to meet the future vision of professional leadership. The Assembly is also open to reviewing our Royal Charter for the benefit of pharmacy professional leadership and we will involve members in this from the outset,” RPS said.

“We also want to work closely with APTUK and other professional membership bodies across the pharmacy sectors to strengthen pharmacy professional leadership.

“To truly deliver a future vision, pharmacy needs a post-registration model akin to medicine, whereby RPS is awarded delegated authority by the regulator to formally define and assure post-registration standards. This needs to be complemented with the implementation of RPS curricula by employers into career development pathways. The Commission is ideally placed to realise this.”