Medicine shortages
Our work to highlight how medicine shortages affect patient care, the pressures on pharmacy teams, and recommendations to inform action.
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…
What’s next for a community pharmacist prescribing service in England?
This episode of The PJ Pod reflects on the ‘Community pharmacy independent prescribing pathfinder programme’…
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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Pharmacists’ role in mental health highlighted at Plaid Cymru Conference
This news story was published when the organisation was the Royal Pharmaceutical Society. The crucial role pharmacists play in mental health care was discussed at the recent Plaid Cymru Autumn Conference. During a main stage panel hosted by the Royal College of Psychiatrists in Wales, RPS Wales Director Elen Jones emphasised how pharmacists across all sectors are supporting individuals with mental health challenges. The panel, chaired by Plaid Cymru’s Health Spokesperson, Mabon ap Gwynfor MS, also featured newly elected Ynys Môn MP Llinos Medi, Ollie John, National Manager of RCPsych in Wales, and Dr. Katie Fergus, Consultant Rehabilitation Psychiatrist at Cardiff & Vale University Health Board. Several important points on pharmacy’s role were made by Elen during the discussion, such as: The accessibility and strong relationships community pharmacy teams have with their patients, enabling them to identify potential signs of poor mental health and encourage patients to access further support. The vital role community pharmacies and primary care pharmacists play in providing mental health support, including bilingual posters created by RPS member Anna Mathews, which detail available mental health resources across Wales. The crucial role specialist mental health pharmacists play as a part of multidisciplinary mental health teams, ensuring patients can benefit from personalised, safe, and effective medication regimens. The need for a consistent approach across Wales for specialist mental health pharmacy, with more opportunities for pharmacy technicians and at consultant level for pharmacists, which are already in some Health Boards. The critical importance of offering mental health care in Welsh for those who speak it as their first language and the excellent opportunities being developed at undergraduate level for bilingual healthcare learning through the Coleg Cymraeg Cenedlaethol. After the session, Elen commented: “Pharmacists across Wales play a vital role in supporting mental health. It was a privilege to share this with politicians and delegates at the Plaid Cymru Conference, and to highlight that patients should benefit from pharmacists' medicines expertise consistently across the country.” “I’m grateful to the Royal College of Psychiatrists in Wales for inviting me to provide a pharmacy perspective on the panel. It’s always a pleasure working with Ollie, Katie and the team. We’re looking forward to an upcoming Senedd briefing in collaboration with them and other royal colleges/professional bodies in November, where we’ll discuss the diverse roles of the mental health multidisciplinary team.” Read more on the role of pharmacy in mental health and wellbeing. Read more RCPharm news stories.
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Pharmacy pressures highlighted in Welsh Senedd
This news story was published when the organisation was the Royal Pharmaceutical Society. Members of the Senedd (MSs) have been hearing about the pressures community pharmacists and their teams are facing and the support required for the sector. In a joint event by the RPS and Community Pharmacy Wales (CPW), MSs gathered over Tuesday lunchtime for a briefing on the state of community pharmacy in Wales – touching on both the tireless and high-quality work of community pharmacy teams and the various pressure points that are affecting the sector at present. The discussions focused on the worrying trend of community pharmacy closures in Wales, with 26 shutting down since July 2020. This is coupled with feedback from both the RPS and CPW membership that pressures on the sector are also leading to both reduced opening and staffing hours. Other key issues raised included the need for protected learning time, challenges in securing vital medications, and the decline in real-time funding for the reimbursement of medicines. Commenting on the briefing event, RPS Wales Director Elen Jones said: “It was uplifting to hear strong support and appreciation from the politicians for community pharmacy, along with recognition of pharmacists’ expanding clinical and prescribing roles and the vital contribution this has made to the NHS in recent years. "In our discussions, we emphasised our support to sustain and expand the clinical and prescribing roles of community pharmacists as set out in 'Pharmacy; Delivering a Healthier Wales' and the contractual framework for community pharmacies in Wales; ‘Presgripsiwn Newydd/A New Prescription’. However, for this to occur, the concerns and pressures facing the sector must be heard and addressed. "I’d like to thank CPW for joining us for this event and hope their upcoming discussions with the Welsh Government result in increased support for the community pharmacy sector. At RPS Wales, we will continue to raise important issues for our members at the Senedd, with our next quarterly briefing event scheduled for December due to focus on our upcoming report on medicines shortages." Read more RCPharm news stories.
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Celebrating East and Southeast Asian Heritage Month 2024
This news story was published when the organisation was the Royal Pharmaceutical Society. For the first time, we celebrated East and Southeast Asian Heritage Month, embracing this year’s theme “Changing Seasons” to acknowledge the evolving experiences, cultures and identities of individuals within the pharmacy profession. Throughout the month, we showcased inspiring stories on our social media platforms, highlighting how East and Southeast Asian heritage has shaped the careers of pharmacy professionals. Using the #ESEAHM and #RPSIandD, we encouraged you to share your diverse perspectives. Read all the stories here. (RCPharm) We also hosted our first ABCD meeting after the summer break. The meeting aimed to honour the invaluable contributions of the ESEA communities in the field of pharmacy. A panel of pharmacy professionals, including Brendon Jiang, RPS England Pharmacy Board Vice Chair and Helen Kilminster, Primary Care Pharmacy Association National Vice President, shared their personal experiences, shedding light on how their heritage and culture have influenced their careers. Plus, Brendon shared his reflections on East and Southeast Asian Heritage Month in his latest blog, delving into the profound impact of cultural heritage, identity, and representation within the pharmacy profession. We want to thank everyone who engaged and participated throughout the month. This is our first time celebrating ESEA Heritage Month, and we'd love to hear your ideas on how we can better support and celebrate this in the future. If you would like to share your ideas, please get in touch at [email protected]. See more of our Inclusion and Diversity work. Read more RCPharmacy 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.