An independent commission into the future of pharmacy professional leadership has called on views from all interested parties.

The UK Commission of Pharmacy Professional Leadership has been set up by the chief pharmaceutical officers of England, Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland. It said that the findings of the call for evidence will inform the commission’s work in developing recommendations for the future of the sector.

The commission will look at five key themes:

  • Leadership, policy and professionalism
  • Regulatory support
  • Professional education and training
  • Regional, country and international relations and engagement
  • Scope of practice of future pharmacy professionals.

Nigel Clarke, former chair of the General Pharmaceutical Council and co-chair of the commission, said the call for evidence is ‘a crucial opportunity’ for people to influence the work of the commission.

Professor Dame Jane Dacre, professor of medical education at University College London Medical School and co-chair with Mr Clarke, added the commission wanted ‘to engage with a wide range of people across the UK’ to hear their views on pharmacy professional leadership.

The Royal Pharmaceutical Society (RPS) welcomed the opportunity to present its views to the commission.

It agreed that professional leadership needed to evolve alongside developments in patient needs and service provision. ‘Future professional leadership needs to be independent, proactive, challenging, forward-looking and always with patient benefit as the first consideration.’

‘To truly deliver a future vision, pharmacy needs a post-registration model akin to medicine, whereby RPS is awarded delegated authority by the regulator to formally define and assure post-registration standards. The commission is ideally placed to realise this.’

Further information about the commission’s work and call for evidence can be accessed by four webinars being hosted by the four home nations.

All stakeholders can share their views on the future of pharmacy professional leadership via an online survey, which will be open until 16 September 2022.

The commission was announced in June this year.