New Professional Leadership Body Launches Commitment To Membership, UK

Main Category: Pharmacy / Pharmacist
Article Date: 09 Sep 2009 - 0:00 PDT

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The Royal Pharmaceutical Society (RPSGB) will announce its vision for the pharmacy's new professional leadership body (PLB) by launching a series of commitments, against which members can measure its performance.

Seven commitments were developed in consultation with the existing membership to demonstrate to pharmacists what the new body will represent and what services, products and support they can expect. The commitments encapsulate the ambition, scope and vision for the new leadership body, and underline how the PLB intends to reflect the professional and personal needs and ambitions of pharmacists in the 21st century across all areas of practice and levels of experience.

Speaking at the British Pharmaceutical Conference and launching the new body's approach, Steve Churton, RPSGB President said; "Our seven commitments signal a departure from the past and reflect the way forward for the new membership organisation. The fact that they offer measurables in terms of delivery and actions, just emphasises how determined the new body is to attain gold standard status, not just in the pharmacy profession, but across peer bodies in other professions and sectors."

The seven commitments launched by Steve Churton are that the new PLB will support its members by:
- Actively listening and responding to their needs
- Supporting their professional and personal development
- Positively encouraging professional networking and the sharing of knowledge
- Effectively promoting pharmacy in the development and delivery of healthcare policy
- Improving awareness and perceptions of pharmacy amongst the public and other healthcare professionals
- Supporting those seeking advanced or specialist levels of practice
- Advancing the science and practice research base for pharmacy and healthcare

Each commitment is supported by tangible actions that will be delivered over the next 100 days, providing members with a clear plan for how the body intends to achieve each goal. Steve continues: "Members have told us that they want to understand what the new body stands for and what services it will deliver. So I am proud to be announcing our commitments, which, crucially, have been developed with our members and spell out a vision of an inclusive and inspiring professional leadership body that represents all pharmacists and pharmacy." For a full list of commitments and the actions being delivered to demonstrate each commitment, please visit http://www.pharmacyplb.com.

Notes

RPSGB President Steve Churton will be available to answer media questions on the commitments on Monday 7 September at the BPC from 11:30 - 11:50. If you wish to attend please contact michelle.hyland@rpsgb.org by Friday September 4.

The British Pharmaceutical Conference is the flagship annual conference of the RPSGB and is now in its 147th year. This year, it takes place in Manchester from Sunday 6 September - Wednesday 9 September inclusive. Around 1000 pharmacists from the UK and internationally will convene to debate practice issues and scientific developments affecting the profession during the four-day event.

Professional Leadership Body

Following the publication in 2007 of the Government White Paper Trust, Assurance and Safety - The Regulation of Health Professionals in the 21st Century, the RPSGB is working towards the demerger of its regulatory and professional roles. This will see the establishment of a new General Pharmaceutical Council and a new professional body for pharmacy in 2010. For further information on the new professional leadership body, visit http://www.pharmacyplb.com.

Source
Royal Pharmaceutical Society of Great Britain

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