The RPS country board elections have resulted in new chairs for both the English pharmacy board (RPS England) and Welsh pharmacy board (RPS Wales).

Yesterday (June 20), C+D reported that hospital pharmacist Erutase Oputu had been elected as RPS England chair, replacing Thorrun Govind, while Brendon Jiang was elected vice chair.

The RPS today (June 21) also announced Ms McCaffrey’s election as chair of RPS Wales, while Andrew Carruthers was re-elected as chair of the Scottish pharmacy board (RPS Scotland).

 

“A strong voice”

 

Ms McCaffrey is principal pharmacist for research and development at Betsi Cadwaladr Health Board and has “spent most of her career working in hospital pharmacy”, according to the RPS.

She told the board ahead of her election that she would be “a strong voice” acting on behalf of the RPS Wales board and RPS members in Wales.

“As an organisation, we have more to do to help pharmacists better understand the value of RPS to them and the opportunities for them to contribute to leadership of our profession”, she said, adding that the profession is at a “time of both challenge and opportunity”.

Read more: UPDATED: Erutase Oputu replaces Thorrun Govind as RPS England chair

Returning RPS Scotland chair Mr Carruthers – medicines governance pharmacist at NHS Greater Glasgow and Clyde - said in his re-election nomination statement that he wanted to increase “membership engagement” to boost membership numbers.

He added that he would seek to “fully realise the role pharmacists could have in tackling health inequalities by providing guidance and championing the vital services available”.

 

“Pivotal moment”

 

In her own nomination statement, Ms Oputu said that the “three pillars” on which she was running for the position were “collaboration, connection and allyship”, describing the present as “a pivotal moment in the history of the pharmacy profession”.

“Now more than ever our members and future members want to see us connected and engaged to what they are experiencing”, she added.

Ms Oputu, a King’s College London graduate, is hospital lead pharmacist for medicines commissioning and pathways at Barts Health NHS Trust.

Read more: RPS announces national pharmacy board election results

Meanwhile, Mr Jiang graduated from the University of Otago in New Zealand and works as senior clinical pharmacist in the North Oxfordshire Rural Alliance primary care network (PCN) and as PCN clinical lead pharmacist for the local integrated care board (ICB).

Outgoing RPS England chair Ms Govind was elected to the RPS Assembly, alongside Ciara Duffy, Alisdair Jones and Sorbi Khattak from RPS England, as well as Cheryl Way from RPS Wales.

Read more: Former community pharmacist appointed RPS Scotland director

Speaking to C+D yesterday, Ms Govind said that she was “delighted” by the election of Ms Oputu and Mr Jiang as chair and vice chair of the English pharmacy board, describing the pair as “safe hands”.

She added that she would continue to “champion” the pharmacy profession as a “proud pharmacist” and expressed her delight at her election to the RPS assembly.