The Royal Pharmaceutical Society (RPS) has promised that a move to temporary headquarters will not affect its services to members.

On May 11, the RPS will relocate from its longtime Lambeth headquarters to a site in Aldgate, also central London, it announced on Wednesday (April 15). It will remain there for “six to eight weeks” before taking up permanent residence near Tower Hill, London.

The temporary headquarters were “absolutely” adequate for the RPS’s needs, said spokesperson Neal Patel, who forecast “no change in terms of the services to our members”.

The move was the result of a “revised completion date” for the refurbishment of its new permanent home, the RPS said. The temporary premises was “in the vicinity” of the new headquarters and would give the RPS a “chance to get to know the area”, Mr Patel said today (April 17).

Although the RPS would not reveal the cost of rent at its temporary headquarters, Mr Patel told C+D it was “well within the budget” of its relocation programme.

All correspondence should still be directed to the RPS’s old address during the transition period, Mr Patel stressed.

Sid Dajani, RPS treasurer and chairman of its relocation board, said his “absolute priority” was making sure the society “remains focused on delivering services to our members”.

“I am incredibly excited about the new home we are building for pharmacy and our commitment to ensure our premises reflect our ambitions for the profession,” Mr Dajani added.

The RPS first announced its relocation programme in 2013, when it predicted the move would save it £400,000 a year in running costs. 

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