This was published when the organisation was the Royal Pharmaceutical Society.

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The annual report for 2025 will be the last such report for the Royal Pharmaceutical Society. It covers a year of substantial developments for the organisation – changes which are culminating even as we write, in early 2026. 

As we go to press, many of the constitutional and governance changes, mandated by the RPS members’ Special Resolution vote a year ago, are coming to fruition.

On 10 March 2026, the King, following a meeting of the Privy Council, formally approved our application to become the Royal College of Pharmacy, an organisation with a charitable constitution. Meanwhile we are finalising our applications for registration with the Charity Commission for England and Wales and the Office of the Scottish Charity Regulator. Our knowledge business, Pharmaceutical Press, will become a wholly owned subsidiary of the royal college. The appointment of Joe Irvin OBE as Chair Designate of the Board of Trustees and the formation of a shadow board to support the transition, together with elections to the new National Pharmacy Advisory Councils for England, Wales and Scotland see us close to readying our new governance structures. From 15 April 2026 we will formally become The Royal College of Pharmacy. 

This report therefore marks the end of an important chapter in the life of our organisation. However, our achievements during 2025 extend beyond constitution and governance. As this report shows, RPS continued in our mission to put pharmacy at the forefront of patient care, and to move closer to our vision of becoming a world leader in the safe and effective use of medicines. We delivered this through our ongoing championing of pharmacy, advancing the safe and effective use of medicines, making vital contributions to healthcare policy, enhancing the quality of pharmacy practice and its role in patient safety and wellbeing across all settings, and through the provision of support, professional development and vital knowledge resources for our members and the wider healthcare professions. 

All of this took place against the backdrop of ongoing change in the healthcare system, and pharmacy’s place within it.

Significant issues in health and care policy informed our work during 2025. We made important interventions on behalf of pharmacists and pharmacy technicians in the debates around assisted dying, both at Westminster and Holyrood, and were vocal on issues including medicines security, sustainability in pharmacy practice, and the particular challenges facing community pharmacy, among others.

Whilst planning for our new organisation and responding to the changing professional and policy context our members and the wider pharmacy community face, we have continued to work with a range of key organisations throughout the health and care system. Particular mention should go to the UK Pharmacy Professional Leadership Advisory Board (UKPPLAB) and its individual members, whose support, cooperation and collegiality throughout this year of change have been invaluable. 

Finally, we are grateful to our members for their vital work ensuring the best possible care for their patients, and also their contributions to our role as the professional leadership body. Engagement with members provides essential insight from across pharmacy in all its settings, ensuring our work addresses the needs of practitioners and the patients and communities they serve.

2025 in numbers…

Constitution and governance

During 2025, there was an increased focus on the RPS constitution and governance changes, as we built on the foundations laid for this work during the previous two years.

To progress with the proposals, which set out RPS’s ambition to become a royal college and make changes to our structure, including seeking to become a charity and creating a wholly owned (limited) subsidiary for publishing activities, changes to our Royal Charter were required. The process for charter change is a Special Resolution Vote (SRV) of the membership, with a two-thirds majority needed to pass. RPS members voted overwhelmingly in favour of these historic changes in March 2025, giving us a clear mandate to continue to progress with our change proposals.

Throughout the year and into 2026, discussions continued with the Privy Council and charity regulators about the scope of the changes, in accordance with their rigorous legal processes.

By late summer 2025 we had made progress on developing the shape and structure of the new organisation, with key Executive Team appointments being made in the autumn. Joe Irwin OBE was appointed as Chair of Trustees Designate in late 2025. He now leads a shadow board with delegated powers to support the transition before taking up his position as Chair of the Board of Trustees when the College is formally created.

In autumn 2025 we also began early engagement with members and non-members to begin gathering insight that will inform the development of the new strategy for the royal college. We invited ideas and input through a set of online and in-person sessions. We are very grateful to everyone who attended these and took the time to support this work so far, which will continue in 2026.

At the time of publishing, we have recently held elections for the three National Pharmacy Advisory Councils for England, Scotland and Wales for the future Royal College of Pharmacy. Members elected to one of the three National Pharmacy Advisory Councils are then tasked with electing the Vice Presidents/Chairs and Vice Chairs for each nation, as well as the inaugural President of the royal college. With the approval of our application to the Privy Council secured during March, our royal college status will become official in April 2026.

Policy and advocacy across Great Britain

Through our policy and advocacy work, RPS positions pharmacy at the heart of an evolving and complex health policy environment. We play a key role in ensuring that pharmacy is represented at the highest levels of decision‑making across Great Britain and its individual nations. 

Health policy is devolved to the Scottish and Welsh governments. Our policy and advocacy specialists, operating through three national offices, work closely with parliamentarians at Westminster, Holyrood and the Senedd, as well as with civil servants, health and care leaders, regulators and wider civil society.

In 2025, we focused on addressing issues such as end-of-life care, sustainability in pharmacy and the emerging use of AI.

Our teams convened the first meeting of a new cross-sector Differential Attainment Oversight Group, dedicated to tackling differential attainment among Black student and trainee pharmacists.

We launched a Greener Pharmacy Guide and Toolkit, which is supporting pharmacies across GB to become more environmentally sustainable. We also secured an amendment to the assisted dying bill in Westminster, covering England and Wales, to strengthen the clause on conscience objection and include specific reference to pharmacists and pharmacy technicians.

Through our collaborative partnership with Marie Curie, which continued in 2025, over 1000 pharmacists or pharmacy teams signed up to the Daffodil Quality Improvement Standards for Community Pharmacy, part of the RPS and Marie Curie UK Community Pharmacy Standards for Palliative and End of Life Care.

Country Highlights

England

RPS called for pharmacists and pharmacy to be at the heart of the forthcoming NHS workforce plan, in our response to a UK Government call for evidence. We also gave evidence to three Parliamentary select committees in five weeks, on medicines security, assisted dying, and workforce.

We engaged with MPs and Peers through the Pharmacy All-Party Parliamentary Group in Westminster, which called for action on medicines shortages and published a report on the future of community pharmacy.

RPS called on NHS leaders to maintain visible and robust pharmacy clinical leadership, amid budget cuts and reorganisations across the health service, and held a webinar for pharmacy teams facing uncertainty.

Amandeep Doll became the RPS new Director for England, leading on national policy development and advocacy.

Scotland

RPS Scotland held three Parliamentary events on access to patient records for pharmacists in the community, the Daffodil Standards for Community Pharmacy and environmental sustainability in healthcare. 

Ahead of the upcoming Scottish Elections in May 2026, we developed, published and promoted the RPS Scotland Manifesto and, in partnership with the Royal College of General Practitioners (RCGP), the Manifesto for Health and Climate.

RPS successfully lobbied MSPs to ensure that the Scottish Parliament legislated to implement integrated, shared patient records which pharmacists in all settings would be able to access.

We welcomed 173 visitors to the Scottish office building on Doors Open Day in September. 

Wales

RPS Wales hosted the third Pharmacy: Delivering a Healthier Wales (P:DaHW) conference, which saw 200 attendees explore strategic developments and innovations aligned with the 2030 vision.

RPS continued to drive forward the 2030 Vision for pharmacy in Wales by providing governance and administrative support to the P:DaHW delivery board and its four working groups. Our teams led on the development of new three-year goals to maintain momentum through to 2028, shaped by input from pharmacy team members across Wales. 

We were commissioned by the Welsh Government to lead an independent review of the role of pharmacy professionals working in and for general practice in Wales, building on the 2023 review of hospital pharmacy, with findings and recommendations due to be published in 2026.

We strengthened the profile and influence of pharmacy at the Senedd by hosting regular briefing events for elected members, meetings and visits with MSs, and by giving evidence to the Health Committee’s inquiry into the future of general practice. RPS also published a Manifesto for Wales, detailing our calls on the next Welsh Government ahead of the May 2026 election.

Science and research in policy and practice

Scientific understanding and knowledge are fundamental to expertise in medicines, while research skills are important for supporting the development of practice. Our science and research work supports the full spectrum of RPS activities, underpinning our evidence-led approach, and enabling RPS members to progress their practice, increase their knowledge and access the latest pharmaceutical science.

In 2025, RPS led on the analysis and reporting of the national engagement of the UK Pharmacy Research Strategy on behalf of the Pharmacy Research Advisory Group (PRAG). Hosted by RPS and supported by APTUK, this wide-ranging consultation invited pharmacists, pharmacy technicians, other healthcare professionals, organisations, and members of the public to shape the first UK-wide strategy to strengthen research capacity and capability across the profession. RPS played a leading role in collating, analysing and synthesising the feedback to ensure the collective voice of professionals meaningfully informed the strategic direction and next steps for embedding research into pharmacy practice across the UK.

We successfully scaled delivery of the science and research workstream for the RPS Annual Conference. This included abstract management, publication production, poster operations, research and scientific session delivery and awards, representing a significant increase in both volume and visibility compared with previous years.

Professional standards and guidance, and patient safety

RPS plays a critical role developing professional standards and guidance to advance pharmacy practice and maintain patient safety across Great Britain and is driving the collaborative development of professional standards and guidance for pharmacy, underpinning care quality across a growing range of practice areas.

RPS works with our members and partners across the health and care system to create professional standards which serve as a vital foundation for practice, ensuring pharmacy is playing its part in the delivery and development of health services. Our professional standards support pharmacy teams in all settings to expand and improve their practice whilst maintaining quality and protecting patient safety.

Professional guidance and education

In 2025, we published six new guides and updated 69 existing pharmacy guides. Our teams contributed to initiatives of the International Federation of Pharmacists (FIP), including virtual insight boards, digital events and publications. Multiple sessions were delivered across a portfolio of events hosted by RPS.

Medicines, Ethics and Practice (MEP)

The 48^th edition of Medicines, Ethics and Practice (MEP) was revised and published in both print and digital formats, ensuring pharmacy professionals have access to clear, current and practical guidance. The digital MEP continued to be updated in response to new legislation, pharmacy practice, drug safety alerts, member feedback and MEP advisory panel feedback.

Professional standards and frameworks

In 2025, we successfully recruited task and finish group members for our work on the Pharmacogenomic Competency Framework for all Prescribers, the Quality Assurance of Aseptic Pharmacy Services standards and the Designed Prescribing Practitioner Competency Framework.

RPS published an Interim Statement of Professional Standard Supply of over the counter (OTC) medicines and showcased the Greener Pharmacy Toolkit at Clinical Pharmacy Congress North in November.

Patient safety

RPS developed the RPS World Patient Safety Day resource, supporting the WHO’s 2025 theme of ensuring safe care for every newborn child. We built external patient and medicines safety relationships through regular meetings and sharing of learning, highlighting emerging patient safety issues.

RPS co-chaired the Joint Medicines Safety Group alongside the Royal College of Physicians, working to address emerging national medicines safety issues (eg propranolol safety) and contributed to the national MHRA Patient Information Workstream.

Overseas, RPS was represented at the International Forum on Quality and Safety in Healthcare in Utrecht in May 2025, and the FIP Policy Committee, contributing to the update of FIP’s policy statement on the role of pharmacists in promoting patient safety.

RPS supported the MHRA #Medsafetyweek, raising awareness to RPS resources linked to the 2025 theme, ’we can all help make medicines safer’.

Education and professional development

Mentoring

In 2025, 111 new mentors and 369 new mentees joined the RPS Mentoring platform, a year-on-year increase. In May we published an article in the Pharmaceutical Journal (PJ) about How to Become an Effective Mentor, which has been viewed over 1200 times.

Barnett award

The Barnett award celebrates RPS members who have dedicated their careers to supporting, mentoring and advancing others and have instilled a culture of professional development excellence within the profession. The recipient for 2025 was Dr Adam Pattison Rathbone.

RPS celebrated National Mentoring Day on 27 October, to raise awareness of our mentoring platform and highlight the benefits of mentoring to both mentees and mentors. Thirteen new mentors and 27 new mentees joined our platform within the first five days.

Based on feedback in 2024, our mentors requested further training and support on how to mentor effectively. We therefore launched the RPS mentoring programme in May to upskill our existing mentors. The programme includes webinars, facilitated peer learning sessions and e-learning modules structured as a self-paced programme.

We achieved 531 registrations and of delegates who provided feedback, 100% agreed that the RPS mentoring programme had supported them to become a more effective mentor and would recommend the programme to their peers.

Foundation trainee pharmacist National Recruitment Scheme (NRS)

We continued to deliver our successful foundation trainee pharmacist National Recruitment Scheme with NHS England, NHS Education for Scotland, Health Education and Improvement Wales (HEIW), and the British Pharmaceutical Students’ Association (BPSA) to support third-year undergraduate students to prepare for the Recruitment Scheme. 1185 students registered for our webinars.

We supplemented these webinars with focused workshops on the numeracy assessment and situation judgement test. 476 students registered for these workshops. A new practice assessment was delivered to support the assessment element of the recruitment scheme. 446 students enrolled for the practice assessment. Learner feedback demonstrated an increase in confidence after completing the RPS Oriel Mock.

Pharmacy Independent Prescribing Service development programme in Wales

Building on our successful collaboration, the RPS and HEIW Pharmacist Independent Prescribing Service (PIPS) learning programme in Wales has been extended to 2028.

In 2025, we delivered 30 in-person and virtual sessions, with almost 800 attendees. The sessions covered a range of clinical topics, including dermatological conditions such as acne, and respiratory conditions such as acute chest infections and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease. Programme evaluation demonstrated increased pharmacist confidence in assessing and managing these conditions within the PIPS service in community pharmacy settings.

Designated Prescribing Practitioners support

RPS delivered an online Becoming a DPP event in collaboration with the Royal College of Nursing, aimed at prospective and newly appointed Designated Prescribing Practitioners (DPPs). The event supported prescribers in understanding the DPP role, explored key considerations for effective supervision, and provided opportunities for delegates to share experiences, discuss challenges, and network with peers.

We expanded the programme to include the perspective of a DPP supporting foundation trainees. The inclusion of this content generated significant interest, highlighting the importance of guidance around supervision of foundation trainees.

The event was attended by 59 delegates and featured contributions from a diverse range of speakers, including experts from clinical practice, academia, policy and professional leadership organisations.

Prescribing development programme 

In June 2025, we launched the Prescribing Development Programme, a structured 18-month learning programme designed to support pharmacists and pharmacy professionals to develop and embed their prescribing practice. Since its launch, more than 950 members have registered, demonstrating strong engagement across the profession.

The programme is built around six core themes, each delivered over a three-month period. The programme offers a blended learning approach, combining synchronous and asynchronous resources to support learners at every stage of their prescribing journey. Participants can access live and recorded webinars, blogs, peer-support sessions, podcasts, and e-learning modules hosted on RPS Learn, providing flexible learning alongside clinical practice.

Foundation trainee programme

We continued to deliver our foundation trainee programme, which encompasses live interactive webinars to support the enhancement of key knowledge and skills for day-to-day practice. 1600 foundation trainee pharmacists accessed the programme, of whom 100% felt more prepared for the GPhC/PSNI common registration assessment. 98% of trainees said they would recommend the webinars to a colleague.

We also delivered a foundation training podcast covering key tips for trainees to get the most out of their training year. Topics included preparing for progress reviews, shadowing and training effectively, and wellbeing and preventing burn out

Our Revision Course with mock assessment was delivered through over 30 live webinars, supporting trainees to effectively prepare for the common registration assessment. Feedback shows that trainees found the interactive sessions highly valuable, with 98% of trainees noting that they would recommend the programme to a colleague, and 100% of trainees noting they would recommend the mock feedback session.

We delivered a focused session for trainees sitting the Autumn assessment or sitting the registration assessment after a failed attempt. The session was aimed at supporting trainees on the challenging parts of the assessment as highlighted from the most recent common registration assessment feedback. Over 170 trainees attended the session, of whom 98% said they would recommend the mock feedback sessions to a colleague.

RPS Learn

April 2025 saw the launch of our new online learning platform, RPS Learn. Designed to support the practice, development and career advancement of RPS members. Learning content is developed by experts and available on demand.

At launch, 21 e-learning modules went live on the platform under the categories of clinical and patient care, professional practice, career and development, prescribing, and research and evaluation. We continued to add new modules each month with a total of 36e-learning modules live by the end of 2025. RPS Learn had 2423active users in 2025 and more than 3500 total module enrolments.

We worked closely with other organisations to develop and host learning content:

• Liver disease: an introduction – British Hepatology Pharmacy Group
• Oral cancer for community pharmacists – University of Liverpool
• Pancreatic cancer: the role of the pharmacy team – Pancreatic Cancer Action

JRC medication safety webinar series

RPS and colleagues from the Royal College of Physicians Joint Royal College Medicines Safety Group collaborated to deliver a series of multi-professional educational webinars aligned to national medicines safety objectives.

The topic of the series was ‘Human Factors’ with the aim of the series for front line healthcare professionals to have a basic awareness and recognition of the opportunities for human factors interventions. A total of 896 learners registered to attend four live events, and 340learners viewed the recordings.

Credentialing

RPS Credentialing is designed to formally recognise and assure the capabilities of pharmacists as they advance in their professional practice.

Through the development of national UK curricula, RPS provides clear pathways for individual professional development and career progression; these have the potential to provide powerful drivers for the advancement of pharmacy practice and the delivery of excellence in patient care.

This work creates an important national framework for post-registration education and training which has the potential to be integrated into NHS policy and thus inform strategic workforce planning and be reflected in pharmacist roles across the system.

In 2025, we delivered 227 credentialing assessments across post-registration foundation (PRF), core advanced and consultant levels of practice. 81 pharmacists were credentialed at PRF level, 31 at advanced level and 30 at consultant level. Congratulations to all! RPS approved 22 new consultant pharmacist posts across the UK.

We launched advanced specialist credentialling in critical care and mental health in collaboration with UKCPA and CMHO. 

RPS organised a cross-profession, cross-UK programme to review our PRF curriculum and develop a new enhanced curriculum and credentialing pathway, ready to support the newly qualified pharmacist prescribers joining in summer 2026 to practice and prescribe with confidence. Patient and community involvement is central to developing this new enhanced curriculum.

Our credentialing work included the delivery of a workforce summit entitled The new dawn: Enabling the new pharmacist workforce to flourish. The event was attended by 60 delegates. 

Inclusion and diversity

RPS is committed to making inclusion and diversity central to the pharmacy profession, celebrating and encouraging diverse voices across pharmacy and ensuring that all can thrive and reach their potential. We champion inclusion and diversity across pharmacy and call out where we see discrimination or unfairness.

In 2025 we continued to spread the message by delivering a number of sessions on EDI, unconscious bias, microaggressions and eliminating the differential attainment at national and local conferences and events.

We launched a consultation on inclusion, diversity and equity in pharmacy, with a view to ensuring our future strategy is representative, impactful and informed by the experiences of pharmacy professionals across sectors and settings.

Our teams delivered national events throughout 2025, including for International Women’s Day, South Asian Heritage Month, South East Asian Heritage Month and Black History Month. As part of Inclusive Pharmacy Practice Week, we hosted a session with GPhC which focused on closing gaps in differential attainment and awarding.

The RPS Action in Belonging, Culture and Diversity (ABCD) group held five meetings through 2025 for its 600 members.

This year a team from RPS also joined the Cardiff, Manchester and Edinburgh Pride events, celebrating the contribution of LGBTQ+ pharmacy professionals in England, Scotland and Wales.

Membership

Membership of RPS unlocks an exceptional range of benefits to support professionals at every stage of their professional journey, and supports pharmacists to excel in their practice. It also enables individual pharmacists and pharmaceutical scientists to play a valuable role in advancing the safe and effective use of medicines and delivering our mission to put pharmacy at the forefront of patient care.

Events

Events are a vital part of the RPS membership offer, bringing together members and non-members to learn, develop and thrive. RPS events not only help members stay up to date on new technologies, developments and advice, but are a welcome place to network and socialise beyond the usual boundaries.

RPS events were well-attended and received throughout 2025, attracting more than 13,000 attendees across 118 events. Feedback from participants was overwhelmingly positive: 97% of attendees would recommend the event or webinar they attended to a colleague and 97% of attendees said the content met the intended learning objectives.

The flagship event of the year was the RPS Annual Conference, held in London in November. This prestigious event was fully booked and welcomed a record number of delegates – 858. 197 research and innovation posters were on display in the conference venue, while 49 expert speakers presented their work across four parallel content streams.

Professional liability insurance

Enhancing the value of membership: the introduction of professional liability insurance

In a rapidly evolving pharmacy landscape, pharmacists are taking on expanded responsibilities to enhance patient care. Across all settings pharmacists are now prescribing, and administering medicines, including vaccines, both within and beyond the NHS. With this growth comes understandable concern about professional liability and the need to practice with confidence, clarity and trust.

Professional indemnity is a requirement of the General Pharmaceutical Council, but members told us that existing arrangements were often complex, confusing and not designed for portfolio or cross-sector careers. Many had not reviewed their cover for over a decade, despite significant changes in practice such as prescribing and vaccination services. Members were clear: they wanted flexible, affordable and easy-to-understand protection that reflects modern pharmacy practice.

In response, we worked with insurance broker Aon to develop RPS Professional Liability Insurance(PLI), launched in May 2025. The offer includes professional indemnity alongside access to expert legal advice, with the option for members to opt out.

We are grateful to members for their feedback, which directly shaped this development, and to the many thousands who are now benefitting from PLI with RPS. By future-proofing professional risk, we are ensuring pharmacists can focus confidently on delivering exceptional patient care.

Engagement

Regional ambassadors

Our regional ambassadors are a vital part of the RPS. They bring strong local insight, understand the challenges faced by their audiences, and play a key role in keeping the profession informed, connected and engaged with RPS activity.

In 2025, we recruited an additional 12 regional ambassadors across Great Britian to provide further support at regional events, bringing the total to 20. Regional ambassadors support a wide range of engagement activities, including university engagement, contribution to the planning of regional conferences, and driving local RPS engagement. 

External engagement events

Active participation in external engagement events and meetings enhances our visibility, ensures responsiveness to emerging opportunities, and reinforces relationship building across regions. In 2025, RPS exhibited at several conferences including the Clinical Pharmacy Congress, the British Oncology Pharmacy Association and the Great North Research Conference.

Foundation trainee engagement

Our engagement work promotes the value of RPS membership at employer-led foundation training events and regional training days, supporting trainees to access professional support during a key career transition.

In 2025, RPS engaged with several community pharmacy chains including Boots, Superdrug, Day Lewis, Well, Rowlands and Paydens. We also delivered careers presentations at NHS WTE training days and coordinated and attended all six HEIW foundation induction events across Wales.

Engagement with undergraduate students in university

University engagement raises early awareness of RPS’s role and value to students. Engagement leads continue to build positive relationships with universities, coordinating with course leads to support attendance at lectures, workshops, careers fairs and welcome week events. 

In 2025, we engaged with 30 universities and exhibited at 21 careers fairs, engaging with over 2000 students. This represents a significant increase on previous years. A total of 26 presentations were delivered to students at universities on a range of topics, including professionalism, ethical decision-making, sustainability, and careers/Oriel support.

RPS also attended freshers’ fairs at 25 universities with the support of the BPSA team. 

Student engagement

We continued to work closely with the BPSA team, strengthening relationships and supporting student initiatives to ensure student voices are heard. In 2025 we exhibited at the annual BPSA conference in Wales, delivering workshops on prescribing, inclusion and diversity, and supporting mentoring sessions. We jointly judged the BPSA conference poster competition.

We delivered a webinar for the BPSA graduate training day on How to Navigate Your Pharmacy Career: Preparing for Interviews, Statements, and Beyond. We also held a successful BPSA executive team training day for the current and incoming team, aimed at improving understanding of RPS functions.

Engagement conferences

RPS regional and national engagement conferences provide high-visibility platforms that showcase pharmacy leadership, innovation and professional excellence. 

In 2025, two successful conferences were held in the Midlands and Scotland. They enabled pharmacy professionals to learn, connect and collaboratively shape the future of the pharmacy profession. Positive feedback was received on keynote speakers, trailblazer presentations, panel sessions and world café sessions.

Professional support

In 2025, the Professional Support Service responded to 3580 member enquiries. We provide expert support and advice across all sectors of the profession, helping members with legal and ethical dilemmas, clinical questions and career and professional development.

We also published 82 pharmacy alerts during 2025 to help our members stay up-to-date with developments and changes affecting their practice. These include pharmacy alerts about new original pack dispensing regulations, updates to isotretinoin prescribing guidance, changes to the pharmacy supervision legislation and many more patient safety updates. 

In 2025 we also started publishing a fortnightly website update to share with members the type of enquiries we can help with and inform them of resources, supporting good practice.

RPS Library and e-Library

The online RPS e-Library supported pharmacists 24/7 during 2025. It was visited more than 58,000 times by people looking for vital reference, guides, and textbooks. 

21 e-books were added to the collection, including A Beginner’s Guide to Targeted Cancer Treatments and Cancer Immunotherapy (2025), The Movement Disorders Prescriber’s Guide to Parkinson’s Disease (2025) and Symptoms in the Pharmacy (2025).

Communications and media

Amplifying the voice of pharmacy

Every day, our media team is on the front line of the national conversation, turning the challenges faced by pharmacy into headlines that matter. When medicine shortages hit, when workplace pressures rise, when patient care is at stake, we make sure pharmacy’s voice is heard by the public and those who shape policy and public opinion. Working together with members, we spotlight the issues that matter most and show how they impact patient care.

• 114 news stories published, keeping pharmacy in the spotlight every three days
• 48 blogs sharing pharmacy insight and expertise.

Our experts provided a strong and consistent voice for pharmacy across national broadcast, online and print media. Coverage included extensive reporting on the side-effects of finasteride, medicine shortages and investigations into the safety of online supply of medicines, as well as advice to consumers on common health issues and medicines. Our President’s comments on the safe use of paracetamol in pregnancy played an important part in countering unfounded information to the contrary from the White House.

The result is that vitally important messages about medicines reached huge audiences. Stories on the RPS website also reached more readers than ever before:

• News stories attracted over 121,500 readers, and blogs reached over 15,000.

Every interview and article amplifies the voice of pharmacists and strengthens the case for pharmacy at the heart of patient care.

Social media

RPS utilises social media to support pharmacists, champion pharmacy professionals, and engage with members and the pharmacy community .

We shared 2,497 posts across social media in 2025, which were then shared more than 6,241 times by followers on LinkedIn, X (formerly Twitter) and Facebook. They were viewed 2,937,721 times and received 1,362 comments.

Follower numbers across RPS channels were up by 1.5% in 2025 to 147,874 and views of posted videos reached 32,146. There were also 26,310 reactions to posts and 61,277 clicks on links.

Our biggest campaign on social media was dedicated to the RPS Special Resolution Vote between February and March 2025. In this month, our impressions increased by almost 92%, shares by 211% and post engagement rate by 55%.

Top posts in 2025

• LinkedIn – Amira Guirguis appointment: 453 reactions, 103 comments, 17 reposts 
• LinkedIn – Amandeep Doll appointment: 318 reactions, 59 comments, 11 reposts 
• X – Special Resolution Vote result: 10,238 impressions, 662 engagements, 60 likes, 37 reposts, 73 clicks
• Instagram – Checked and bagged prescriptions guidance: 8,948 views, 169 interactions, 105 reactions, 31 shares, 28 saves
• Instagram – Wales Conference: 10,784 views, 155 interactions, 123 reactions, 19 shares

Our international work

Through its international work, RPS promotes excellence in pharmacy and patient care internationally, and fulfils an important role as a representative and champion of British pharmacy. We represent our international members and work bilaterally with pharmacy professional bodies from around the world. 

This work supports pharmacy and healthcare globally, but also plays a vital part in strengthening expertise and knowledge for pharmacists here, ultimately helping improve health and care outcomes for patients.

In 2025 we undertook a number of collaborative projects with the International Pharmaceutical Federation (FIP), the global body representing over 5.5 million pharmacists and pharmaceutical scientists, of which RPS is a member. We hosted the FIP Community Pharmacy Section Executive Committee Mid-Year Meeting at the RPS London building, travelled to the Hague to take part in an FIP summit on vaccination, contributed to FIP policy working groups and webinars and gave feedback on policy documents.

In 2025 We officially became a member of European Association of Hospital Pharmacists and supported an early careers pharmacist to attend EAHP congress in Copenhagen. We presented on medicine safety at the BMJ international forum on quality and safety in healthcare and hosted delegations from Switzerland, America, Japan and Portugal.

Museum and heritage

1,095 people visited the RPS Museum during 2025, including 193 visitors on guided tours. More than 6200 museum records were updated and 1573 objects audited.

The RPS museum hosted six work experience placements for secondary schools and universities, delivered history of pharmacy talks to students at the University of Sheffield and welcomed three new volunteers who supported the museum’s work.