The newly established National Pharmacy Advisory Councils for England, Scotland and Wales have elected Tase Oputu as the Royal College of Pharmacy’s first president, the Royal Pharmaceutical Society (RPS) has announced.
Oputu was first elected as a member of the RPS English pharmacy board in June 2021 and has served as Chair of the board since June 2023, the RPS said.
As president, Oputu will “help determine the strategic direction of pharmacy professional leadership” and advise the trustee board on “professional matters”, it added.
Read more: RPS: election results for National Pharmacy Advisory Council
RPS president Professor Claire Anderson “warmly” welcomed Oputu as the first president of the Royal College of Pharmacy and wished her “every success” in the role.
“Her election marks a key stage in the formation of the college’s governance and leadership structure as we work to establish the new royal college as a modern and unifying professional leadership body for pharmacy,” she said.
“Unique chance”
Oputu said that she was “delighted” to have been elected as the first-ever president, noting that “the creation of the college presents a unique chance to shape the future of pharmacy”.
“As president, I will focus on establishing the college as a confident voice, developing our five-year strategy, rebuilding engagement and championing inclusion,” she added.
Read more: Voting opens for ‘first-ever’ elections to RPS’s Royal College
The RPS also announced that the English, Scottish and Welsh pharmacy advisory councils have elected a vice president, vice chair and “another member” to sit on the senate.
The English pharmacy advisory council:
- Vice President/Chair - Mahendra Patel
- Vice Chair - Mildred Johnson
- Senate - Claire Anderson
Read more: New president - and more? RPS opens election nominations
The Scottish pharmacy advisory council:
- Vice President/Chair - Catriona Sinclair
- Vice Chair - Josh Miller
- Senate - Laura Fulton
Read more: RPS to scrap chief officer roles ahead of Royal College transition
The Welsh pharmacy advisory council:
- Vice President/Chair - Liz Hallett
- Vice Chair - Aled Roberts
- Senate - Eleri Schiavone
