Independent UK Pharmacy Professional Leadership Advisory Board to strengthen collaboration

By Sir Hugh Taylor, Independent Chair of the UK Pharmacy Professional Leadership Advisory Board

Since our first meeting in April, Board members have been working in short-life groups to explore the five themes of the UK Commission on Pharmacy Professional Leadership’s report.

The overarching theme from the meeting, and the main takeaway for me, was the central importance of collaboration. For our Board’s work to be a success, and to really benefit patients, the public and pharmacy professionals, a close working relationship between the different PLBs and SPGs is essential. These organisations are much stronger together and this combined voice reflects the richness and diversity of pharmacy professional leadership.

We kicked off our second meeting in July with a discussion about professional and regulatory standards which looked at how we can strengthen clinical practice and support professionals to achieve their potential. An ongoing theme of our work is the value and importance of collaboration both within the pharmacy professions and with other healthcare professions. One independent expert member (IEM) commented on how the professional leadership body (PLB) and specialist professional group (SPG) Board members could work more closely together to identify gaps in the current guidance. Another IEM talked about the importance of professional leadership in maintaining high quality care and patient safety as the clinical role of pharmacy professionals develops – most recently with pharmacy technicians being able to work under patient group directions. What came across to me was the need for greater facilitation of governance linking the pharmacy regulators with professional bodies. The role of our Board is to support these organisations in helping to ensure that professional standards reflect and keep pace with the ongoing changes in pharmacy practice and the needs of health services and patients.

Next, we turned to the central topic of professional education and training. PLBs and SPGs play a crucial role in education and training – and we discussed how pharmacy professionals who are not members of these organisations can benefit from their advice and support. One Ex-Officio member highlighted how the Board now needs to focus on the post-registration development of pharmacy technicians and, from 2026, the introduction of independent prescribing for all newly qualified pharmacists. In relation to pharmacy technicians, another Ex-Officio member discussed the work that is taking place to develop post-registration pharmacy technician practice and how they would welcome the Board’s support and input with this. Again, the theme of strengthening collaboration was highlighted – particularly across the four countries of the UK.

One IEM reminded us of the importance of recognising the achievements of all four UK nations. He also shared a story from their own experience, as a community pharmacist, with one year’s experience as an independent prescriber (IP), that really places patients at the heart of what we are doing. Working to the principles of his IP

training, he recognised that a woman in her 60s who visited his pharmacy on a Saturday was seriously ill. The way he responded – including liaising with the local hospital and out of hours service – led to the woman being treated for a ruptured gall bladder, which is a potentially life-threatening condition. Several days later a local resident told him: “I believe you saved that woman’s life!” This story really underlines the importance of community pharmacy and I want our Board’s collective efforts to support better engagement with this sector.

We then discussed scope of practice for future pharmacy professionals. This is a huge and challenging topic, especially in the midst of so many rapid developments in pharmacy and healthcare in general. We need to describe the big picture and future proof so we don’t have to keep redefining professional roles. Horizon scanning is really important here, both for our Board and the organisations involved, and across the four UK nations.

One IEM made a crucial point about celebrating the differences between our professional identities as pharmacy technicians and pharmacists. Another said that patients and the public often do not understand the difference between professional pharmacy roles – we need to communicate better to make sure they do. An Ex-Officio member stressed the importance of moving pharmacy into the multi-disciplinary space and engaging better with those in other clinical roles. From our discussions it was clear that we need to give more confidence to patients and the public about what pharmacy professionals can do and work more closely with the pharmacy regulators to support new developments in practice.

On engagement we agreed to set up a sub-committee to support the PLBs and SPGs in engaging more proactively to promote the importance of pharmacy professional leadership and organisations that support it. It really is important that this collaborative work is visible to pharmacists and pharmacy technicians which will help generate confidence that things are moving in the right direction.

I took some time to introduce the subject of our next meeting in September which will be to start the work on developing a sustainable and effective structure for pharmacy professional leadership in the UK. Or in other words, the future direction. It’s important we begin to get into this debate and generate some pace given the limited timeframe of the Board. The first step will be to share information about the PLBs and SPGs with the Board, and for PLB and SPG leaders to put forward their initial thinking, as a starter for the discussions.

Bodies and the Board will need to be honest with themselves and the Board, and not draw ‘red lines’ at this stage. Ultimately, we all need to increase the number of pharmacy professionals who choose to be a member of a professional body. I know the over-riding commitment to collaboration is already there. We need to both understand we’re not here to solve the problems of the past, but to focus relentlessly on developing top-notch pharmacy professional leadership that is well organised and well supported by professionals in the field.

By Sir Hugh Taylor, Independent Chair of the UK Pharmacy Professional Leadership Advisory Board

It was great to get started on our task at the first meeting of the UK Pharmacy Professional Leadership Advisory Board on 23 April. I’m relatively new to pharmacy and it’s fascinating to bring my experience of working with professional leadership bodies when Permanent Secretary of the Department of Health and Social Care and Chair of a London hospital trust to this new endeavour. I’m very pleased to have been asked to get involved – because it’s so important to the people of the UK.

The Board includes people with a fantastic range of expertise and experience and our first meeting was an opportunity for them to share their insights and begin to shape the work programme we will lead. They are clearly enthusiastic about the task ahead and have a great deal of ambition for representing all pharmacists and pharmacy technicians, and making pharmacy professional leadership the most effective it can be.

And that’s a critical point – they are not on the Board to represent a sector or specialism. The Ex-Officio and Independent Expert Members are on the Board to represent all pharmacists and pharmacy technicians. We are all aware that we need to avoid narrow and divisive approaches when it comes to professional leadership. It doesn’t help pharmacists and pharmacy technicians working on the ground, because you work in teams, you collaborate and increasingly integrate across sectors as patients move through NHS pathways of care.

In my experience, there is no perfect model out there of a professional leadership body in healthcare. However, what we have here is a great opportunity for pharmacy to shape a model of professional leadership that others can look to as an example of best practice.

Although professional leaders will never be immune from criticism, they ultimately need credibility. Honesty, integrity and credibility really matter for leaders – whether they are engaging with their fellow professionals or other stakeholders such as the public, regulators or the Government. The importance of how professional leaders are viewed by the wider pharmacy professions was highlighted by an Ex-Officio Member of a professional leadership body – she said that leaders must be trusted by those they represent. There’s no doubt that the next three years hold a variety of opportunities and challenges for pharmacy. Professional leaders need to demonstrate an awareness and understanding of what these mean for pharmacy professionals in their day-to-day roles.

Clarity of vision and purpose is crucial for pharmacy professional leadership. Whether it’s the ageing population, life expectancy beginning to decline, rising demand for NHS services, or exciting advances in medicines, genomics and technology, we need to be clear on how pharmacy will respond. And I strongly believe that pharmacy’s profile needs to be higher. It should be seen as a national asset. Are we talking about pharmacy enough to other healthcare professionals? Pride goes hand in hand with professionalism, and the role of professional leaders is to build pride. Leaders also need to show a commitment to embodying those values that focus on the needs of patients and the public, and the importance of clinical excellence. In the best places I have worked over the years, staff have been able to tell you what the organisation’s values are.

Another vital aspect of good professional leadership is what I call ‘restlessness to keep improving’. This is about leaders championing leading edge clinical practice, along with the availability of education and training for pharmacists and pharmacy technicians throughout their careers. It is the role of professional leaders to set an example by pushing the boundaries. Related to this is a strong focus on research and innovation – leaders need to support people to keep pace with the major changes ahead in medicines and technology. In our rewarding discussions at the meeting, one Independent Expert Member emphasised the importance of staying curious as this leads to innovation and improvement. Another cited how we really need to be brave and do things differently.

My final characteristic of good professional leadership is a visible and systematic commitment to collaboration and partnership. This is tricky to get right – ensuring that pharmacy excels in its role as a team and system player. This means more effective collaboration between the pharmacy professions, with other healthcare professionals, the wider healthcare system, and working in partnership with patients and the public. Here the Board’s Patient and Public Reference Group will play a pivotal role.

Board members discussed how professional leaders should empower, inspire and engage effectively with pharmacists and pharmacy technicians – and that this applies to the whole, diverse pharmacy family, including its unregistered members. One Independent Expert Member said he hoped that this effective engagement would lead to a greater sense of belonging and inclusion amongst pharmacy professionals.

Ultimately the aim of the Board’s work is to be more than the sum of our parts in moving forward at pace this exciting vision for pharmacy professional leadership over our three-year timeframe. While this will be hugely challenging for us all, and wider professional colleagues, I am confident that, with the reflections shared by our Board members at the meeting, and their commitment to making these aspirations a reality, pharmacy professional leadership has a positive and inspiring future.

Independent Expert Members Re-advertisement

The UK Chief Pharmaceutical Officers (CPhOs) are looking to appoint Independent Expert Members from diverse backgrounds to shape and support the collaborative UK Pharmacy Professional Leadership Advisory Board, which has been tasked with developing an inclusive federation of existing UK pharmacy professional leadership bodies and specialist professional groups to lead implementation of the UK Commission on Pharmacy Professional Leadership’s report recommendations.

The CPhOs are looking for outstanding, motivated and experienced candidates to become Independent Expert Members who are:

• Pharmacists working in Scotland.

View the recruitment pack and role summary. Please note the closing date is: 23:59 on Wednesday 17 April 2024.

Since my appointment as Independent Chair for the UK Pharmacy Professional Leadership Advisory Board in October 2023, I’ve had a warm welcome from the leaders of the pharmacy professional leadership bodies (PLBs) and specialist professional groups (SPGs) which are members of the Board.

Setting up the Board is an important initiative that will further support, enable and empower the PLBs and SPGs to shape and lead the future for the pharmacy professions in these important times.

To ensure it can carry out its remit effectively and guide future-focused leadership for the pharmacy professions, the Board has been established by the Department of Health and Social Care as an independent public body. Working within its remit, the Board will set its own agendas and provide advice to the PLBs and SPGs, which are its constituent Ex Officio members.

I’ve had fruitful and positive initial discussions with my PLB and SPG colleagues, and Board development sessions, and currently we’re working productively towards our first Board meeting on 19 March 2024.

Meanwhile I’m continuing to immerse myself in the pharmacy landscape, as well as taking forward the recruitment of our Independent Expert Members. Like me they need to go through a process of official HR onboarding, but I hope we’ll be in a position to share their names during February.

Now that the Board has been established as an independent public body, the UK Chief Pharmaceutical Officers have stepped back into an advisory role and I’ve taken the lead responsibility.

So, I’m keen to get going with the work of the Board. We’ll meet four times a year and one of the first things we’ll do collectively is set up a patient and public involvement group, as well as a stakeholder forum. These will feed advice and views into the Board meetings to ensure we’re in touch with the full range of pharmacy bodies, enabling us to involve even more colleagues in the work of the Board and ensure the greater transparency we’re keen to achieve.

We’re also making great progress in identifying leaders to join the Board as Independent Expert Members: people of the highest calibre with an outstanding track record in, strong understanding of, or lived experience in, health and care in any country of the UK. This will ensure the Board is broad, balanced and inclusive of appropriate diversity.

The interviews have yielded a great field of enthusiastic and independent-minded pharmacists and pharmacy technicians who I’m confident will be an enormous asset to the Board, shaping and supporting its work, as we seek to ensure greater collaboration across the UK PLBs and SPGs over a three-year period. I’m also delighted that the Chair of the Academy of Medical Royal Colleges, Dr Jeanette Dickson, has agreed to join the Board as an Ex-Officio member.

All this makes for exciting times. Next month, the Board will begin its discussions about the delivery of the recommendations and ambitious vision set out by the UK Commission to:

1. Support and enable collaborative working
2. Develop credible and authoritative leadership that is effective and speaks with one voice to Government, regulators, patients, employers and others in the public interest
3. Develop the future arrangements for UK pharmacy professional leadership, that will contribute to the ambition to realise the future potential of pharmacy professionals in the NHS and other settings.

As the independent UK Commission report outlined, there is an urgent need for the pharmacy professions to work collaboratively to deliver on their potential and, together, address a wide range of professional issues.

The creation of the Board will support and steer a process of evolution for pharmacy professional leadership in the UK, matching the speed of change in healthcare and pharmacy professional practice more widely. It is ultimately for members of the professions and the bodies that represent them to determine the form and structure in the longer term.

All this will require engagement with pharmacy professionals across the UK – seeking your input to our ambitions as we enter this new and dynamic phase of collaboration.

I hope pharmacists and pharmacy technicians across all four countries will join with us to create this positive future and I look forward to working with you all.