Mr Astbury – listed as a Morrison’s relief pharmacist on the RPS website – will replace outgoing president Ash Soni.

Mr Astbury previously served as RPS president from 2010-14. He has been a member of the society’s English Pharmacy Board since 2007 and an “ex-officio” member of its Scottish and Welsh boards since 2007, according to the RPS website.

Commenting on his re-election, Mr Astbury said: “There are profound technological, financial and legal changes on the horizon for pharmacists in all three nations of Great Britain."

"Over the coming years, our three national RPS pharmacy boards will provide leadership in all these areas. I will champion the value of all pharmacists, supporting my colleagues across Great Britain, ensuring we provide a bright future for the profession," he added.

Mr Soni's departure

The RPS announced last month that Mr Soni, who held the post for two years, “will no longer be president”, after he was voted off its assembly in an unprecedented move by its English Pharmacy Board.

Following the surprise announcement, the RPS responded to members' queries by shedding light on its internal workings.

Mr Soni said today that he handed over to the new president "with a sense of pride borne from the society’s achievements over the last two years".

"With a new five-year strategy published this year and a fabulous new home for the profession, we are at the beginning of a new chapter of the society’s development."