Consultations and Policy
Consultations
We responded to over 60 consultations from a number of different
stakeholders including NICE, Department of Health and Social Care,
DVLA, GPhC and governments and organisations from all three countries. This
ensured that our members views were heard across GB. We responded on
topics such as single medication records, women’s health, fee setting
for pharmacy professionals, and original pack
dispensing.
You can find out more about these and all our consultation responses on our consultation pages.
Submissions to inquiries and consultations has resulted in further engagement on these, and other topics, with stakeholder groups, members of parliament in all three countries and members.
Policy
We published policies and position statements for the whole of GB and individual countries.
Across Great Britain, we published a policy on pharmacy’s role in reducing harm and
preventing drug deaths
, and worked with other
stakeholders to lobby governments to pilot supervised injecting
facilities.
Our policy on COVID-19 vaccinations for pharmacists helped reverse the decision to make vaccines mandatory.
Our women’s health policy was discussed in parliament, and we continue
to work with members to lobby for change through our ABCD group. With
workforce pressures continuing, our policy highlights
short term change and prevention strategies.
We heard that pharmacists
were excluded from long COVID treatment planning, and our policy highlights
the role of pharmacy.
We also updated our policies on assisted dying and
e-cigarettes in response to new parliamentary activity
or evidence being published.
Find out more on our policy pages.
RPS in Wales
Following the Senedd elections in May 2021 we introduced and highlighted key pharmacy issues to the new Health and Social Care Minister and members of the Health and Social Care Committee through one-to-one meetings, constituency visits and briefings with a focus on workforce pressures, electronic prescribing and independent prescribing.
We also reflected the views and experiences of our members by giving both oral and written evidence to Senedd committees on issues, including winter pressures, mental health, and sustainability.
In over 40 appearances in the Welsh media, we told the Welsh public all about your crucial work. We were on BBC Wales, S4C and the Western Mail, highlighting the amazing innovative practice and tireless dedication shown by pharmacy teams across Wales.
In collaboration with over 60 NHS Wales bodies, other professional bodies and third sector organisations, we worked to ensure that pharmacy’s expertise is recognised and understood across all areas of health and social care.
We've been helping to develop the profession’s vision for pharmacy in Wales through Pharmacy: Delivering A healthier Wales, supporting innovative practice and building a new website.
And, with your help, we've been highlighting innovative practice through virtual events and blogs.
RPS in Scotland
In 2021, we focused on engaging with members and pharmacy stakeholders, focus groups, blog posts, social media, podcasts, events, and introduced weekly video updates.
Although published in early 2022, Pharmacy 2030: our professional vision for the future of pharmacy in Scotland, was developed and written during 2021, because we focused on co-producing the vision with the profession through focus groups, meetings, surveys and consultations. One of our members said: “I have welcomed such an inclusive approach to the production of the document.”
Our new drugs policy explained pharmacy’s role in reducing harm and preventing drug deaths, which is a key priority area for Scottish Government. We met the Minister for Drugs Policy and a number of MSPs to discuss our policy.
We worked with the British Medical Association to produce a joint statement on the Pharmacotherapy Service, pointing out that pharmacists’ clinical skills must be maximised and the importance of good skill mix, IT and processes to support the service. It was welcomed by the Scottish Practice Pharmacy & Prescribing Association, who said: "We are grateful that you have raised the challenges our teams face in having the professional role of some pharmacists undermined and welcome the support to ensure that all pharmacy staff have attractive job roles."
We produced position statements on a number of important areas, including workforce pressures, about which we spoke to the Cabinet Secretary for Health and Social Care, and the proposed national care service.
We had motions lodged in the Scottish Parliament, met with ministers, including Kevin Stewart and Angela Constance of the SNP, and had policy commitments in the election manifesto of every party.
RPS in England
The start of 2021 saw a key focus on the COVID-19 vaccination roll-out, with the RPS England team speaking to Government and the NHS, working alongside pharmacy stakeholders, on the role of pharmacy teams and how we can ensure you had the support you needed.
More widely, we’ve continued to engage with members and policymakers on NHS reforms such as the new Integrated Care Systems and what this means for pharmacists and patient care. We launched a new ICS Pharmacy Leads Forum, bringing together leaders and innovators to share best practice and help shape our work on how pharmacy teams can support medicines optimisation and improve patient outcomes across the system.
Working with NHS England and the Association of Pharmacy Technicians UK, we developed a Joint National Plan for Inclusive Pharmacy Practice in England. This aims to make inclusive pharmacy professional practice a key part of everyday patient care, to support the prevention of ill-health and address health inequalities in the diverse communities we serve.
We co-hosted a roundtable with the Royal College of General Practitioners on the Community Pharmacist Consultation Service and published a report on how to maximise the potential of GP CPCS to manage growing demand on the health service.
In Parliament, we supported the work of the All-Party Pharmacy Group, which launched a call for evidence as part of an inquiry on the future of pharmacy. We engaged with select committees, including arranging interviews with pharmacists for the Health and Social Care Committee’s inquiry on workforce burnout.
We met with the new Minister for Patient Safety and Primary Care, Maria Caulfield, appointed last September, and will continue engaging with the Government and NHS on the big issues facing members and the role of pharmacists and pharmacy teams in the NHS recovery.
"Behind the Scenes"
People
- 36 new employees in 2021
- 945 applications received for new roles
- 18 long service awards (including three for 20 years' service and one for 25 years' service).
Operations
- Two floors rented out at our London HQ.