Josh Miller, MRPharmS
The view of a newer board member
“This is about having a stronger professional voice and clout, but also gaining closer collaboration with others. While we try to do this as the RPS, having a shared DNA with other medical royal colleges will forge closer relationships, which will benefit the organisation, its members and ultimately the patients we care for.”
Why are you supporting the proposed changes at RPS?
When you think back, the RPS split from RPSGB in 2010 – 15 years ago. There have been huge changes in pharmacy since then, and I think RPS has sometimes struggled to keep up. The governance structures and the processes within the organisation have stayed pretty static, and I think it’s always good to review and refresh, and this proposal allows this.
We also need to keep up with other healthcare colleagues – medical, nursing and other healthcare colleagues who all have well-established royal colleges. We hear over and over that pharmacy is an essential front line service. COVID-19 was a prime example of that; with community pharmacy teams working tirelessly to offer patient-facing services in an unprecedented times. It is vital that we make sure that our professional voice is heard, be it regionally, nationally and internationally and I think having royal college status is only going to be a good thing to help us achieve that.
How will new governance help RPS perform better?
As a member of the RPS Scotland board, I know that the membership has always been pretty vocal about what they want, and we’d be foolish not to listen to that. Members have asked for a more transparent process. Historically there have been discussions that haven’t been completely transparent. A lot of that is down to the governance structures that are in place at the moment within the Society – and that’s why things need to change.
It’s difficult with a large organisation to be reactive. My experience has been that we are quite often on the back foot, usually needing to respond to queries and consultation within a short time frame. That makes transparency and member engagement difficult. A royal college status means we can be more proactive through being engaged in discussions and roundtables from an earlier point, and not being an afterthought, which is sometimes the case currently.
What are your thoughts on the proposed composition of the new senate, which sees equal numbers of pharmacists from each of the national councils?
I don’t see it so much as levelling the playing field. It’s a new organisation, and this is about getting the right people with the right experience and wealth of knowledge to the table where decisions are going to be made. That’s the narrative that Scotland colleagues have always held. We’re happy to be involved and to bring our expertise, and work alongside colleagues from all sectors, backgrounds and nations in an inclusive and collaborative way. It’s not about numbers. I’m a Scottish pharmacist but I work in Great Britain and I have an interest in the welfare for pharmacists and the success of pharmacy as a profession, no matter if you work in Penzance or John O’Groats
From your perspective as an acute hospital pharmacist, what difference do you think this is going to make on the ground?
The biggest difference in my role is access to credentialing and assessment. From a selfish point of view, it allows me to continue my professional development in a way that is going to be assessed and acknowledged, by the professional body.
From an organisational and management perspective, it gives assurance of what level I’m working it. That’s something pharmacy has lacked. If we look at other professions, we have been behind in regards to a nationally accredited career framework, which supports individuals and improves patient care. This is bringing us more into a similar playing field. A royal college by definition is a professional organisation that supports the education and development of its members, and that is what the Royal College of Pharmacy will strive to do.
What’s your message for other voters?
It’s time to change. We need to refresh. There’s a lot of work that goes on that members maybe don’t see as much – advocacy, policy and influencing stakeholders. That’s work that the RPS did and will continue to do as we become a royal college, but I’d say that having a royal college status, gives some prestige, clout and makes our message much clearer and louder.
This is about having a stronger professional voice and clout, but also gaining closer collaboration with others. While we try to do this as the RPS, having a shared DNA with other medical royal colleges will forge closer relationships, which will benefit the organisation, its members and ultimately the patients we care for.