The future of pharmacy professional leadership in the UK: A plan for delivery

Signed by the leaders of the seven pharmacy professional leadership organisations represented on the Board – the Concordat for Delivery:

• re-affirms their unanimous agreement that this is a generational opportunity to transform the landscape of pharmacy professional leadership in the UK by coming together, over time and subject to consultation with members, in the newly constituted Royal College of Pharmacy;
• marks their collective commitment to take responsibility for delivery of a Royal College that is ambitious in purpose and impact – and inclusive in terms of membership, representation and governance: all in the interests of the patients and public we serve; and
• signals the moment when the pharmacy professional leadership organisations take ownership of delivering this future in the spirit of collaboration that the UKPPLAB has engendered – and the moment when the baton passes from the UKPPLAB, always intended to be a transitional body, to the pharmacy professions themselves.

Read the plan here.

Sir Hugh Taylor, Independent Chair of UKPPLAB, said:

“It has been a privilege to work alongside leaders from across the professions and four countries to help shape this new, collaborative future for pharmacy professional leadership.

“The signing of the Concordat for Delivery means the Board has achieved its goal, transforming a shared ambition into a formal commitment to deliver on agreed plans. It demonstrates that the pharmacy professions are taking charge of their own future and reflects the collective determination of professional leaders across pharmacy to build a more collaborative, inclusive and sustainable future.

“We all recognise that delivering this ambition will require ongoing flexibility, purpose, commitment and meaningful consultation and engagement across the UK. But with the broad support generated through the Board’s work I feel confident the opportunity is within grasp.”

The seven organisations have agreed to continue to work together in a refreshed Co-Creation Liaison Group (CCLG), chaired by Royal College of Pharmacy President Tase Oputu, which will meet bi-monthly to develop and deliver the next steps in this delivery plan – and contribute to the next phase of the Royal College’s development. This will include implementing an inclusion process to ensure pharmacy expert groups, pharmacy technicians and pharmacists in Northern Ireland have the opportunity to achieve meaningful leadership and representation within the Royal College, subject to appropriate consultations with members.

A new Alliance of Pharmacy Expert Groups (APEX), bringing together the British Oncology Pharmacy Association (BOPA), College of Mental Health Pharmacy (CMHP), Primary Care Pharmacy Association (PCPA) and UK Clinical Pharmacy Association (UKCPA) with other invited bodies, will provide a focal point for the Royal College to work on the delivery plan and wider policy development matters with those organisations.

The CCLG will also include a continuing role for independent expert advisers, including a patient and public representative, and will be supported by an independent secretariat.

John Warburton, UKCPA Chair, said:

“The legacy of the UKPPLAB, though hugely significant, is not enough to guarantee change in our professional leadership provision. The delivery of a comprehensive Royal College is now in the hands of the individual professional leadership bodies and specialist professional groups, but we’re off to a good start with the publication of the concordat.

I’m excited about the commitment of all organisations to the next step and particularly the positive discussions with the Royal College to explore the evolving relationship with UKCPA and other bodies. In the meantime, APEX provides the opportunity to accelerate collaborative projects with both peer organisations and friends in an attempt to provide the best collective value for our members and drive forwards the pharmacy professions.”

Through the agreement, the seven bodies have committed to four vital pre-requisites for their future work:

• Adopting and embedding the principles of the Board’s Vision and Common Purpose for Pharmacy Professional Leadership to ensure collaboration, inclusivity and unity remain at the core of the Royal College.
• Working with the Royal College and their members to develop a bold, ambitious new strategy for the future, based on deep engagement with the pharmacy professions and other key stakeholders, including patients and the public.
• Following a Three-Stage Inclusion Process, with the aim of creating the opportunity for the Royal College to become a professional leadership home for all pharmacists, pharmacy technicians, pharmaceutical scientists, and pharmacy trainees and students across the UK. Understanding that progress will require flexibility on all sides, and consultation and engagement with members.
• Creating a model for sustaining collaboration during the first year of the Royal College to enable preparatory work to be done through the formation of APEX, and the new CCLG hosted by the Royal College.

The Concordat has been agreed by the Royal College of Pharmacy, Association of Pharmacy Technicians UK, Pharmacy Forum Northern Ireland and the APEX groups.

The Board’s final post-meeting statement, blog and annual report will be published shortly. The Board was established in April 2024 for a period of up to three years.

Read the plan here.