The Pharmacists’ Defence Association (PDA) has criticised the Royal Pharmaceutical Society (RPS) for moving too quickly to a ballot on its proposed transition to a Royal College, arguing that it resulted in low participation from pharmacists in Great Britain.
Announcing the results of the special resolution vote, the RPS said that the outcome was a “clear mandate” in favour of the transformative change.
A total of 6,144 members—31.4% of the 19,594 eligible voters—participated in the vote.
More than 71% (4,369 votes) supported the resolution, while nearly 29% (1,775 votes) opposed it. This equates to 22% of all RPS members voting in favour and 9% voting against.
However, the PDA highlighted that those voting in favour represent less than 7% of all pharmacists in Great Britain, pointing out that “there are more than 45,000 pharmacists who are not RPS members.”
"With more than two-thirds of all RPS members not involved in the voting at all, coupled with such a low level of detailed understanding of the proposals, only the passage of time will make it apparent what may have been gained and what may have been lost,” the union stated.
It argued that, if done intelligently, the changes could “not only lead to the RPS doing things differently but could also lead to other organisations adapting in concert, working symbiotically for the benefit of the wider profession.”
The union also cited a survey of over 2,000 pharmacists, which revealed that only 11% felt well-informed about the proposals ahead of the vote.
It had urged the RPS to delay the ballot to allow more time for discussion and consensus-building, but this was not granted.
Failing a delay, the PDA had called for a ‘NO’ vote to enable additional and sufficient time to be given.
Concerns over royal college status
The PDA expressed concerns that in converting to a Royal College, the RPS would lose a key charter objective to “safeguard, maintain the honour, and promote the interests of pharmacists.”
This has been confirmed by the RPS’s lawyers who said: “It is not possible for a charity to have the object to ‘maintain the honour, and promote the interests of pharmacists.’ A charity cannot have a purpose to benefit, or further the interests of, a defined group of individuals who are not themselves the objects of the charity.”
Some pharmacists viewed this as a retrograde step for the profession, arguing that the conversion could have been done in a different way without the loss of this objective.
According to the PDA, these developments are the potentially damaging consequences of “moving too hastily to a ballot and not sufficiently engaging the whole profession before calling the vote.”
However, it acknowledged that the clarification provided by the RPS lawyers on “what the Royal College can and cannot do” would help the profession to consider “how best to adapt, ensuring that pharmacists can still expect to receive professional representation of their interests.”
Need for a broader dialogue
Looking ahead, the PDA stressed the need for “a broader conversation” on how the transition will work in practice.
“The hard work starts now,” the union said, calling for all stakeholders – pharmacists, professional bodies, and representative organisations – to engage in meaningful and collaborative dialogue.
The PDA recognised that the transition presents an opportunity to “recalibrate the pharmacy ecosystem – aligning the strengths of all representative bodies to achieve outcomes that surpass the sum of individual efforts.”
“The profession’s success will depend on collaboration across all sectors, ensuring that all pharmacists benefit from a more cohesive and strategically aligned landscape, regardless of their affiliations,” it said.
“While questions remain about the long-term implications of this transition, what is clear is the need for a symbiotic approach. Pharmacists need to be clear as to where they go for what and how they can be supported in the practice of their profession,” the PDA added.
Next steps in transition
The RPS is now focused on progressing the necessary steps with the Privy Council, Charity Commission, and the Office of the Scottish Charity Regulator (OSCR) to complete the transition to Royal College status by Spring 2026.
