GPhC invites applications for ‘Chief Pharmacy Officer’ role

The General Pharmaceutical Council is appointing a new Chief Pharmacy Officer to strengthen the professional voice within the senior leadership team. This introduction is aimed at fostering a culture of enterprise leadership, inclusion and collaboration within the organisation, GPhC said in a statement.

According to GPhC, the Chief Pharmacy Officer will serve as the authoritative representative of the pharmacy regulator in public, within the pharmacy professions, and increasingly in multi-disciplinary teams and collaborative regulatory work. “They will act as the executive lead on pharmacy inspection and regulatory insight, providing professional leadership within the GPhC and collaborating closely with pharmacist and pharmacy technician colleagues across the organisation.”

The Chief Pharmacy Officer, reporting to the Chief Executive and Registrar, will hold the highest professional position within the GPhC executive, providing pharmacy leadership across the organisation, GPhC said.

The post holder will bring a collaborative approach to working both within and outside the organisation, it said. Their responsibilities include ensuring that all GPhC's work is evidence-based, utilising relevant data and insights to support the development of pharmacy services and policy, the regulator added.

The candidate must be a GPhC-registered pharmacist or pharmacy technician, possessing extensive experience and understanding of the work of the pharmacy professions and their evolving role in society. “They will demonstrate an authentically inclusive leadership approach, displaying personal commitment to the GPhC's values, behavioral framework, and equality, diversity, and inclusion strategy,” it added.

Recruitment is ongoing, and the deadline for applications is Monday, August 7, 2023.

In January, NHS England appointed David Webb as its new Chief Pharmaceutical Officer to spearhead the next stage of pharmacy practice transformation.

At the board meeting of the National Pharmacy Association in St Albans on 28 June, Webb expressed “wholehearted support” for the community pharmacy sector. After hearing from the CPhO at the meeting, NPA Chair Andrew Lane said, “David is someone we can do business with.”