Royal College For The Pharmacy Profession - Society Pledges To Work With Others, UK

Main Category: Pharmacy / Pharmacist
Article Date: 06 Apr 2007 - 0:00 PDT


The Council of the Royal Pharmaceutical Society of Great Britain has backed its President's pledge to work with the Pharmaceutical Society of Northern Ireland (PSNI) and other pharmacy bodies to help to create a Royal College for the pharmacy profession.

The decision arises from the recent White Paper on health regulation, in which the Government proposes a General Pharmaceutical Council (GPC) to regulate pharmacy. All health care professionals are facing change of some kind under the Government's proposals - pharmacy is included alongside these other professions. The policy document also suggests a body "akin to a Royal College" be established to fulfil the professional leadership role for pharmacy. The Society currently fulfils a dual role as both regulator and professional leadership body.

The Society is already talking to the PSNI and is writing to around 200 pharmacy bodies in order to begin talking - and listening - to them and to explore the possible principles and functions of a Royal College. A one-day event bringing pharmacy organisations together to discuss the formation of a Royal College is also being planned for late April.

The wider membership of the Society will also be consulted and work is in hand to do this by means of a series of special meetings, through the Society's web site, writing directly to them and by other methods of direct communication.

Commenting, the Society's President, Hemant Patel, says:

"The Society is enthusiastic about the prospect of working with the PSNI and others to bring about a Royal College for pharmacy. We are keen to work with all those who contribute to the success of pharmacy and who want to see the profession develop clinically.

"The proposed GPC and the notion of a Royal College are two sides of the same coin. The regulatory role, through the GPC, serves and protects the public. The Royal College can support pharmacists whilst maintaining the public's confidence in the profession.

"We are writing to a large number of pharmacy bodies to invite them to engage with us and to explore the potential principles and functions of a Royal College. We are also planning a one-day event for pharmacy organisations to discuss the formation of such a college.

"Very importantly, we will be consulting the Society's members and inviting their views too. We want to encourage them to take a full part in the debate about the future of the profession."

www.rpsgb.org.uk

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