Opinion: A watershed year for pharmacy

The Royal Pharmaceutical Society has enjoyed a long history, originally founded in 1841 and latterly re-established in 2010 as the RPS when its regulatory responsibilities passed to the General Pharmaceutical Council.

At the time of its establishment much consideration was given to the formation of the RPS as a Royal College. It was decided, given the imperative of a tight deadline for the separation and the complexity of the task, that the moment should be deferred to give the RPS the space to carefully consider how it wished to proceed. 

That moment is now. A historic moment for the RPS. A pivotal moment for the profession. 

Much has been said about this since the announcement in September that the RPS was seeking Royal College status. The Society recently published a helpful report following a series of roadshows across the country in which it seeks to explain the rationale and benefits of the proposed changes.

“There is an imperative for a leadership organisation to lead”

There is a danger that many members will regard this as yet another rebranding of the Society in an attempt to improve its attractiveness while offering little more than it does currently. Nothing could be further from the truth. 

It is imperative that the RPS debunks this widely held view. Not just by promising that the future will be different, but by articulating the need for it to be different and why the profession should place its confidence in the proposed leadership model to drive excellence into all areas of practice. 

Professional belonging

I am very clear in my mind. A Royal College will act primarily in the public interest and it will achieve this by creating a natural and welcoming home for pharmacists, pharmaceutical scientists and maybe others to provide a sense of professional belonging – a “professional soul”, if you like. It will: 

• Demonstrate thoughtful and inspirational leadership
• Drive clinical excellence to enhance patient wellbeing and safety
• Deliver educational programmes and employer-recognised credentialing for advanced and specialist areas of practice
• Create opportunities for more fulfilling roles and career progression
• Support personal development and self-confidence
• Afford parity of esteem with other medical and healthcare professions
• Demonstrate credible advocacy and influence.

Importantly, it will do all of this – and much more – far more effectively and collaboratively than ever before… but when is the RPS going to talk passionately and persuasively about all of this? 

Until now the RPS has largely focused on the enabling constitutional and governance changes, listening to the views of members and reporting back. Don’t misunderstand me: I am a strong supporter of listening, but I also feel that there is an imperative for a leadership organisation to lead. To present a vision for people. To inspire and enthuse them. To embrace and mobilise them. And to create a groundswell of momentum which leads inexorably to the future we need and one our patients deserve.

I have previously cautioned that following a protectionist route is certain to result in failure. There is an important difference between having confidence in your own abilities and assuming that you can move ahead successfully without collaboration with others. There is a plethora of special interest groups in the profession. Some are well established with large memberships and some less so, but they all share a common goal to offer value to their members. 

“The RPS needs to create a compelling vision for a future Royal College of Pharmacy”

Adding value to the profession and the patients it serves should be at the very heart of a Royal College and it would be unconscionable to attempt to move ahead without meaningful collaboration with others. My sincere hope is that discussions have commenced, in which case the profession needs to hear and understand the level of interest and the potential for mutually beneficial alliances.

Tangible difference?

Members will soon be asked to vote on the changes which will be necessary to create a future leadership model built around a Royal College. Are the proposals as currently presented compelling enough? Do members have sufficient confidence that they will lead to a tangible difference in the public perception of pharmacy, in the enhancement of and recognition in their roles, and in the quality of service to patients? 

Without a compelling vision that we can all sign up to, and without at least an understanding of how a Royal College might provide a framework to improve professional cohesion, it may be difficult to achieve the threshold required to progress, and from a turnout which affords the RPS a credible mandate for change.

There remains much work to be done before the vote – and time is slipping away from us.
Advocates for a Royal College of Pharmacy need to unite and collectively up our game.

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What happens next...

• The RPS will set out its finalised proposals, due this month
• A campaign “to inform and inspire” members will launch imminently
• A membership vote is expected in early spring