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Newly elected Royal Pharmaceutical Society president Ash Soni has declared his intentions to better integrate and support the different branches of the profession, champion the RPS Faculty, and promote the transition of the Society into a Royal College (reports Charlotte Rixon).

On his appointment to one of the top jobs in pharmacy, Mr Soni promised to be an €inclusive president€ and to take equal pride in the €many and varied roles€ of pharmacists working across all sectors and in all three UK nations.

He pledged to support the English, Welsh and Scottish Pharmacy Boards in delivering their aims to raise the profile of pharmacy, and said that he looked forward to hearing about and sharing examples of the great work that pharmacists were doing to improve patient care and safety around the UK.

During his first address as president at the RPS in Lambeth, Mr Soni said that the Society was recognised by the other Royal Colleges as €a Royal College in all but name€ and that he would strive to move towards attaining this €special status€.

In addition, the new president promised to support RPS members to join the Faculty, following its creation last year, as well as reaching out to those pharmacists who may still be unsure of its benefits.

During the year ahead, he said, the RPS would hold roadshows, gain the support of pharmacy bodies and work with the GPhC to ensure that the Faculty is recognised as €a cornerstone to revalidation and demonstration of continuing fitness to practise€, as well as seeking to make its membership a requirement for pre-registration tutors.

Mr Soni even pledged to seek to gain Faculty status himself in order to €act as an advocate and champion€ to further its value.

Finally, Mr Soni affirmed his commitment to €take every opportunity to promote the whole profession to health professionals and the public€ and to help pharmacy to reach its goal of being €a fully integrated part of the health and social care team€.