Welsh Pharmacy Board

The Welsh Pharmacy Board consists of eleven elected representatives from every sector of pharmacy. Our job is to direct the work of the RPS in Wales, ensuring that it represents your interests.

The RPS is the voice of pharmacy in Wales. As the leadership body for the profession, we champion the role of pharmacy in Welsh healthcare at all levels and in every sector, through our work with government, academia, the voluntary sector and other stakeholders.

Our work, set out in our business plan for 2013-15, reflects the priorities of our members. We campaign for improvements in patient care, addressing issues of patient safety, medicines management, workplace pressures and the concerns of the profession. We work alongside our seven Local Practice Forums in their vital role as networks for professional development, peer support and information.   

Mair Davies
Chairman

Our key objectives:

1. To make members the best they can be through investing time in talking and listening to members from all sectors to understand their aspirations and concerns

2. To increase the status and influence of pharmacists in health care through the promotion of pharmacists in the delivery of safe and effective pharmaceutical care to patients and the general public in Wales

3. To be advocates for members and to provide the leadership voice for the profession in Wales 

4. To keep informed of the political and policy environment affecting pharmacy and provide the professional voice in the decision making process for pharmacy development in Wales

5. To generate effective and meaningful dialogue with the Welsh membershipensuring all RPS developments are clearly communicated and capturing the mood of members on all relevant issues 

6. To foster a culture of mutual respect and joint working with other health professional bodies and Royal Colleges

7. To make the voice of Welsh pharmacy heard across RPS in key decisions on GB and European Union issues

• Working with the Welsh Government 

Working with the Welsh Government and the National Assembly for Wales is a critical part of our work and is necessary for effective leadership, representation and advocacy.

We are currently keeping a watching brief on the development of the Social Services and Well Bring Bill (Wales). This is a significant piece of legislation to simplify the current web of legislation for social services and to increase the integration of social services and healthcare services in Wales. 

RPS members can read the latest edition of Monitor Cymru on the news page of the Welsh Pharmacy Group, bringing you up-to-date political news affecting pharmacy in Wales.

• Medicines Safety 

The Welsh Board held a Medicines Safety conference on 20 November 2012 at the Hilton Hotel in Newport, as part of its ongoing campaign of events, seminars and political lobbying to address issues of Medicines Safety.

For more information about the background to RPS Wales Medicines Safety campaign, visit our medicines safety symposium page. 

• Information Management & Technology

RPS Wales is campaigning for faster improvements to NHS IT and more effective sharing of patient information. Our joint statement with the Royal College of General Practitioners, launched at the Senedd at the end of 2012 prompted the Minister for Health to confirm that Information sharing is very important and on the agenda of monthly meetings with Health Board Chairs.

The body representing patient groups across Wales, the Board of the Community Health Councils has welcomed the RPS/RCGP joint statement and the members of the Board of CHCs are discussing it with their members at a local level, to ensure that our proposals reflect the needs and wishes of Welsh patients.

Patient registration with pharmacists is a crucial link to better information sharing and will be piloted in 2013 in a common ailments scheme to be trialled by Cwm Taf LHB and Betsi Cadwaladr UHBs. 

Dr Paul Myres, Chair of the RCGP in Wales blogging on why effective information sharing is so important.