“The world of pharmacy is changing at an unprecedented pace, and we believe it is crucial to involve the whole pharmacy team in shaping what comes next for leadership of the professions.”
In February, I enjoyed being part of the ‘Big Conversation’ – a series of online events inviting people from across the UK pharmacy team to have their say on a Vision and Common Purpose for the future of pharmacy professional leadership.
Six hundred pharmacists, pharmacy technicians, support staff, patients and other members of the UK pharmacy community, joined these lively discussions to give their ideas and views. As you would expect from such a diverse audience, the feedback was interesting and varied but there is one response in particular that has stayed with me - the importance of ‘collaboration not competition’.
The work of the UK Pharmacy Professional Leadership Advisory Board (UKPPLAB), which I have the privilege of chairing, is grounded in collaboration. All eight professional leadership bodies and specialist professional groups represented on the Board, along with the 10 independent expert members, are committed to working together to create a more unified and collaborative leadership model for the future. As a Board, we recognise that collaborative leadership is something that will not only benefit our organisations today but will shape the pharmacy landscape for years to come.
During the past few months, the Board members have worked together to co-create a proposed Vision and Common Purpose for the future of pharmacy professional leadership. The vision consists of five distinct commitments, and it is these commitments that we consulted on:
- unified and inclusive leadership
- supporting collaboration
- advocacy and public awareness
- embracing advancements in practice
- driving forward education, innovation and research.
We were encouraged by the openness and thoughtfulness of the conversations across all 10 webinar events, and the obvious appetite for a more cohesive and collaborative way of working. There was significant support for a stronger and more unified voice for pharmacy; a call to ensure that leadership is inclusive and representative of the whole pharmacy team; and a desire for a values-led approach to be adopted emphasising credibility, openness, transparency and fairness.
Participants across the UK told us what was important to them:
On supporting collaboration, they wanted aligned objectives, shared resources and a reduction in duplication to drive improvements to patient care and outcomes.
On advocacy and public awareness, they highlighted the need for professional leadership organisations to focus on educating the public about the breadth of pharmacy team roles, and to achieve greater influence with Government, regulators, employers and other stakeholders.
On embracing advancements in practice, they wanted their professional leadership to become leaders in improving equitable care for patients, as well as access to opportunities for professional fulfilment to enable future proofing for their careers.
On driving forward education, innovation and research, they asked for more support – career frameworks, guidance, training, funding – and they wanted education and research to be incorporated into their roles as part of their practice to help make pharmacy careers more attractive.
There was widespread recognition of the challenges – and opportunities - that lie ahead; and the need for adequate training and support to embrace these changes head on. And what came across very strongly was the immense pride in the standard and reach of pharmacy in the UK, and the commitment to providing the best possible care for patients.
We are very grateful to everyone who took the time to join the Big Conversation webinars. As a Board, we have considered the feedback and updated the Vision and Common Purpose to reflect the views and challenges we heard. Our aim is to publish a final version of the Vision and Common Purpose this summer.
And the journey doesn’t end here. We remain committed to listening, learning, and acting on the feedback we receive as we move towards a more unified and collaborative future for pharmacy professional leadership in the UK. A future that recognises the strength in our differences and continues to work in the spirit of collaboration not competition.
The UKPPLAB Board
The UK Pharmacy Professional Leadership Advisory Board was set up in 2024 to implement the recommendations of the UK Commission on Pharmacy Professional Leadership’s report.
Chaired by Sir Hugh Taylor, the Board has 21 members from across UK pharmacy who are working together to support and steer the transition to a sustainable and effective structure of pharmacy professional leadership.
Board achievements to date
Since April 2024, the UKPPLAB has:
- co-created a collaborative Vision and Common Purpose for future pharmacy professional leadership, as a framework for greater organisational collaboration
- established a programme sub-committee which brings together pharmacy professional leadership bodies, specialist professional groups, UK pharmacy regulators and statutory education bodies to collaboratively work on:
- education and training for post-registration pharmacy technicians and newly qualified pharmacists with prescribing rights
- professional standards
- scope of practice for pharmacists and pharmacy technicians
- supported the Royal Pharmaceutical Society’s plans to create a UK Royal College of Pharmacy with a new constitution and governance model that will enable and facilitate co-creation of a sustainable and effective future structure of pharmacy professional leadership. We welcome the commitment of the Royal Pharmaceutical Society to work closely with the Board in the co-creation of the new royal college.