RPS launches new consultation to strengthen inclusion, diversity and equity in pharmacy
Published: 26 August 2025
This news story was published when the organisation was the Royal Pharmaceutical Society.
The new consultation explores pharmacy professionals’ experiences of recognition, discrimination, representation and belonging.
The consultation will run from Tuesday 26 August until Monday 15 September and is open to pharmacists, pharmacy technicians and the wider pharmacy team.
Building on the findings of our 2023 Inclusion and Diversity survey, the consultation seeks to hear from as many pharmacy professionals as possible. By gathering a wide range of experiences and perspectives, the RPS aims to ensure its future Inclusion, Diversity and Equity Strategy continues to be representative, authentic and impactful.
The consultation takes around 8-10 minutes to complete, with all data anonymised. For RPS members, responses will not be linked to membership records.
Amandeep Doll, Head of Professional Belonging and Engagement at RPS, said:
“Responding to the consultation is an opportunity for pharmacists, pharmacy technicians and the wider pharmacy team to continue shaping the future of the pharmacy profession and contribute to the RPS’ Inclusion, Diversity and Equity Strategy.
“A stronger sense of belonging across the profession is not only vital for pharmacists themselves but also underpins safer practice and better outcomes for patients. I would like to encourage as many people as possible to fill out the survey, as the more responses received, the more representative we can be.”
As the RPS continues its journey to becoming a Royal College, strengthening inclusion, diversity an equity remains central to its mission. Listening to the profession ensures the organisation can play its part in tackling health inequalities and supporting a more resilient workforce for the benefit of patients.
For any questions, please contact [email protected]
Related news
RPS sets course for royal college with the announcement of leadership changes
Four key roles will be available as royal college transformations continue amidst five-year strategy planning
Call for evidence on facilitated self-selection of P medicines
This news story was published when the organisation was the Royal Pharmaceutical Society. We've published a call for evidence on the facilitated self-selection of P medicines following changes made by the regulator, the General Pharmaceutical Council (GPhC), enabling more pharmacies to adopt this practice. The call for evidence is open for eight weeks from 12 July – 06 September 2024 and is the outcome of the national Pharmacy Boards meeting in June, which discussed the current RPS position that "Pharmacy medicines must not be accessible to the public by self-selection", as stated in our guide Medicines, Ethics and Practice. The Call asks for submission of evidence of the benefits and harms of a facilitated self-selection model for P medicines in relation to patient care, and any evidence gaps with an explanation of areas where further research is required. RPS CEO Paul Bennett said: "Following changes brought by the GPhC focusing on an outcomes approach to standards, they have confirmed they no longer prohibit facilitated self-selection of P medicines. As a result, there are pharmacies that are now adopting a more flexible interpretation to providing this group of medicines. "The GPhC have stated that sale and supply of a P medicine must still take place in a registered pharmacy premises under the supervision of a pharmacist, and that appropritae measures should be in place to ensure that supervision continues. "The evidence base gathered through this exercise will inform a report by RPS Science and Research to enable us to consider our current position. As the professional body, we are committed to patient safety and the safe development of innovative practice to meet the needs of patients now and for the future. Please share the call for evidence with your networks." To inform the review, we want to hear from a wide range of pharmacists and pharmacy team members, patient representative bodies, employers, academics, think tanks, pharmacy representative bodies, regulators and other stakeholders and researchers. Please read and respond to the call for evidence.