The Royal Pharmaceutical Society (RPS) has set out plans to develop its faculty with the aim of it being recognised as a model for revalidation within three years, its director of professional development Catherine Duggan has told C+D.

Ms Duggan said yesterday (October 30) that she expected the quality of the faculty's agenda to "move forward" within a year.

Within three years, she wanted the programme to be recognised as a "model of quality" for revalidation as well as provide a "quality mark" to employers, she said.

Ms Duggan's comments came after the RPS announced the faculty's first 75 members last week (October 25).

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	"We want to produce a lot more guidance, so that it is a robust model, which will grow and grow from there," she said. "Within a year we want the quality of the agenda moving forward. But it will take time, it's a step-by-step process. It is a difficult thing to measure, but it's quite transformational," she added.

More than 1,000 pharmacists had been given access to the faculty's learning tools to prepare them for the assessment process, since the professional recognition programme was launched in June, the RPS said. Seventy-five had been awarded membership, including 58 who were assessed at faculty fellow stage (FFRPS), 15 at member stage II (MFRPSII) and two at member stage I (MFRPSI).

It was fantastic that there had been a "healthy uptake" from community pharmacists, Ms. Duggan said.  Nearly 300 community pharmacists resigned up to the programme although the majority of interest has come from hospital pharmacists, with 406 applying from the secondary sector, 66 from academia and 39 from industry.

Once pharmacists join the faculty, they are given further tools and resources, including an advanced practice portfolio, professional development frameworks, professional curricula, mentoring and support from the RPS.

How do you think membership of the RPS faculty could benefit you?

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