Medicine shortages
Our work to highlight how medicine shortages affect patient care, the pressures on pharmacy teams, and recommendations to inform action.
For newly qualified pharmacists
This resource hub provides real-time practical support to ensure you develop the capability, confidence and professional judgement you need to prescribe safely and effectively.
From our President Tase Oputu
On 15 April 1841, a dedicated group of London chemists and druggists came together to form a professional body. Today, 185 years later, I am immensely proud to welcome you…
Credentialing
We provide a standardised credentialing framework for pharmacists’ post-registration education and training, enabling them to be recognised for their advancing professional capabilities.
News
The latest news and updates from Royal College of Pharmacy
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Royal College celebrates 92% success in latest advanced credentialing round
Pharmacists working across community pharmacy, general practice and secondary care have achieved a 92% pass rate in the Royal College of Pharmacy’s latest round of advanced credentialing. Credentialing plays an increasingly important role across healthcare by providing independent assurance that professionals have the knowledge, skills and experience to deliver care at an advanced level. For patients, it helps build confidence that healthcare practitioners are meeting nationally recognised standards, supports high-quality and consistent care, and contributes to safer clinical decision-making. Candidates in the cohort had been supported through advanced-level development programmes provided by the Centre of Postgraduate Pharmacy Education, Public Services Delivery Scotland and University College London. Their success reflects the commitment of the pharmacists themselves, and the collaborative support provided by programme teams, supervisors, collaborators, employers and assessors. The cohort also marked two significant milestones for the profession. It included the first pharmacist to be credentialed as an advanced pharmacist in critical care through the collaborative Royal College and UK Clinical Pharmacy Association joint credentialing pathway. In Scotland, the cohort included the third community pharmacist to achieve Royal College credentialing at advanced level. This important achievement demonstrates that advanced practice can be developed and recognised across a breadth of pharmacy sectors and roles, and highlights the increasing clinical contribution community pharmacists are making to patient care. Deputy Superintendent Pharmacist Michelle Frazier MRCPharm (Advanced), from Crimond Pharmacy, said: "Achieving Advanced Credentialing is a milestone that I am incredibly proud of. Community pharmacy has evolved significantly, and pharmacists are delivering increasingly complex clinical care every day. Completing the credentialing process gave me the opportunity to reflect on my own practice, recognise how much it has developed over the years, and demonstrate that against nationally recognised standards. “For me, this achievement is not just about recognition; it is about demonstrating the value that community pharmacists bring to patient care and showing that advanced practice is firmly established within our sector. I hope it encourages other community pharmacists to have confidence in their own expertise and to see credentialing as an achievable and worthwhile step in their professional development." Joseph Oakley, Associate Director of Assessment and Credentialing at the Royal College of Pharmacy said: “A 92% success rate is a tremendous achievement and reflects the expertise, dedication and commitment of this cohort. It also demonstrates what can be achieved when pharmacists, employers, education providers, professional groups and the College work together around a shared vision for the profession. “We are particularly pleased to celebrate achievements in critical care and community pharmacy. Advanced practice exists across sectors and settings, and it is essential that pharmacists have equitable opportunities for their expertise and impact on patient care to be recognised. “Credentialing is about more than receiving a new professional badge. It provides independent assurance that pharmacists have demonstrated their capability against nationally recognised standards aligned to other advanced roles in healthcare, giving pharmacists confidence, employers assurance and patients trust.” The College’s curricula and credentialing pathways form part of its career-long approach to supporting pharmacists from their early post-registration development through to advanced and consultant practice. As pharmacists take on increasingly autonomous clinical and prescribing responsibilities, this combination of structured workplace development, shared professional standards and robust credentialing will become increasingly important. This approach will also underpin the forthcoming Enhanced Curriculum and Credentialing Pathway, which will support newly qualified pharmacist prescribers to develop their knowledge, skills and professional judgement through real-world practice and provide a clear bridge towards advanced and consultant-level practice. The Royal College of Pharmacy congratulates everyone who participated in the latest credentialing round and thanks the programme providers, assessors, supervisors, employers and partner organisations whose collaboration supported their achievement. Find out more about RCPharm credentialing. Read more news stories.
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Royal College of Pharmacy renews focus on education for pharmacists across all sectors
The Royal College of Pharmacy (RCPharm) is launching a range of education, credentialing and professional support initiatives designed to support and strengthen its education offer for pharmacists at every career stage and in every setting. As the role of pharmacy professionals continues to expand across health systems – including advances in medicines, technology and increased pharmacist prescribing – education, credentialing and professional development remain essential to advancing pharmacy practice and assuring patient safety. Ongoing learning and professional development helps pharmacists strengthen their clinical capability, respond effectively to change and flourish in their practice and career. Louise Goldring, Director of Education at RCPharm comments: “We know that pharmacists will increasingly have a career that spans multiple sectors and settings of practice and we are committed to developing the support, learning and assurance mechanisms that respond to the realities of modern pharmacy practice and enable pharmacists to flourish whatever their chosen career path. “The College is building on the foundations already in place and embarking on an ambitious educational future, working with pharmacy and education stakeholders and listening to the needs of our members and the wider pharmacy community to ensure our education and learning supports pharmacists across their whole professional journey: setting standards, supporting learning and professional development, assuring and recognising advancement and helping pharmacists practice with confidence. “We will continue to introduce education and professional support that helps pharmacists develop, thrive and deliver excellence for patients.” Newly qualified pharmacists support hub for College members: Launching today (Friday 24 July 2026), From Qualified to Confident is a uniquely cross-sector combination of support and learning designed to help newly qualified pharmacists continue to develop as pharmacists while building confidence, capability and judgement in safe and effective practice. Developed in collaboration with experts and leaders across pharmacy and across GB, From Qualified to Confident is designed to complement employer-led training and NHS provision in England, Scotland and Wales. It provides consistent, cross-sector support for pharmacists in every practice setting, helping them develop the capability and judgement needed to practice safely, recognising the responsibility every prescribing decision carries and providing both real time support and reflective education to meet those needs. Enhanced curriculum and credentialing pathway: Launching in September 2026, the enhanced curriculum and credentialing pathway is the Royal College of Pharmacy’s national pathway for supporting newly qualified pharmacist prescribers from newly registered to confident prescribers. Registration is the beginning of a professional journey. Safe and confident prescribing develops through experience, high-quality support and supervision, feedback and reflection – not through registration alone. The pathway will provide the structure pharmacists need to build their clinical skills, professional judgement and confidence through real-world practice. It will also support pharmacists to become well-rounded professionals who can lead improvements, educate others and use evidence to deliver better patient care. Designed for patient-focused practice, it can be used across community pharmacy, primary care, secondary care and other settings. Built for the profession, by the profession, the pathway has been shaped by pharmacists, employers, educators, patients and healthcare partners across every sector and all four UK nations with patient and multidisciplinary voices embedded from the outset. A new e-portfolio will help pharmacists capture evidence of their learning, feedback and practice. RCPharm credentialing will recognise those who demonstrate the enhanced standard, giving pharmacists confidence and recognition, employers and other professions assurance, and patients trust in the care they receive. The enhanced curriculum and credentialing pathway are distinct from the accompanying member support package, and RCPharm membership will not be required to access them. Support and learning for community pharmacists: The College has developed clinical and practical learning that will help community pharmacists prepare for the expanding role of pharmacy services across Great Britain. Content on the College's flagship education and learning platform RCPharm Learn will support pharmacists delivering Pharmacy First services in England and Scotland, and the Pharmacy Independent Prescribing Service in Wales. The resources include clinical learning in key conditions and a focus on practice skills including consultation skills, clinical assessments and remote consultations. RCPharm Learn resources are offered in multiple formats to support different learning styles and preferences. The College is committed to the continued development of education in response to changes in pharmacy practice and informed by member feedback. President of the Royal College of Pharmacy, Tase Oputu said: “The announcement of these ambitious plans to support newly qualified pharmacists, including the forthcoming launch of our enhanced curriculum and credentialing pathway, and our continued work to support pharmacists in community settings, really sets the pace for the College over the coming months as we move towards our goal of providing lifelong learning that prepares, supports and enables pharmacists achieve to excellence in practice and success in any role. “As we develop our long-term strategy, our focus on education, credentialing and enabling excellence in practice will continue to provide career-defining education that enables pharmacists, particularly our members, to excel in practice, grow their skills and deliver for patients and the public wherever they choose to practice.” Explore the newly qualified pharmacists support hub: From Qualified to Confident. Read more news stories.
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Royal College of Pharmacy meets Members of the Senedd
Last week, the Royal College of Pharmacy Wales team met with new Members of Senedd (MSs). With around 70% of Members newly elected to the Senedd, it was an important opportunity to introduce the College and highlight the clinical role, expertise and contribution of pharmacists across Wales. The team spoke to MSs about the contribution pharmacists across all sectors can make to the new Welsh Government’s health priorities. This included: Tackling waste to improve financial and environmental sustainability. Supporting patients with long-term conditions. Enabling care closer to home. Supporting prevention by helping people stay well and reducing medicines-related harm and hospital admissions. Left image: Liz Hallet standing with Becca Brown MS, centre image: Darren Millar MS, right image: Sera Evans MS and Geraldine McCaffrey. Source: Edie Boulcott, Camlas We also discussed the Welsh Government’s proposals for a new cancer plan and the introduction of up to ten new surgical hubs, emphasising the important role pharmacists can play in both areas. The team also emphasised that pharmacy teams need appropriate funding, resources and capacity to make full use of their expertise, improve patient care and help the NHS make best use of its resources. Liz Hallett, Chair of the Royal College of Pharmacy's Welsh Pharmacy Advisory Council, said: “It was valuable to meet new and returning MSs so early in the Senedd term. With so many new Members, it is important they understand the profession’s role across community pharmacy, general practice, hospitals and other healthcare settings.” Geraldine McCaffrey, Director for Wales at the Royal College of Pharmacy, added: “Pharmacists’ medicines expertise will be crucial to delivering the Welsh Government’s health priorities. Over the coming months, we’ll continue working with Members of the Senedd through one-to-one meetings, visits with pharmacy teams and responses to government consultations, ensuring pharmacists’ expertise and role in patient care are reflected as these plans are developed and implemented.” Find out more about our work in Wales. Read more news stories.
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We are the Royal College of Pharmacy, the professional leadership body for pharmacists and pharmaceutical scientists. We exist to advance the safe and effective use of medicines, drive excellence in patient care and support pharmacists to deliver the highest standards of practice.
As the third largest workforce in healthcare, pharmacy plays a vital role in the health system, and as experts in medicines, pharmacists and their teams are central to patient care and public health. Our mission is to put pharmacy at the forefront of patient care, advancing the safe and effective use of medicines to the benefit of patients and the public.