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The Pharmacists’ Defence Association (PDA) has today (April 16) updated its statutory objectives following what it described as the Royal College of Pharmacy’s (RCP) decision to move away from the core constitutional commitment of promoting the interests of pharmacists.  

A day after the former Royal Pharmaceutical Society (RPS) announced its incorporation as a Royal College, the PDA announced its own principal statutory objective is now: “To safeguard, maintain the honour and promote the interests of pharmacists in the exercise of their profession.” 

The PDA said this wording appeared in the former RPS charter but has been replaced in the RCP charter with the following wording: “The objects of the College shall be for the public benefit.” 

This shift has been necessitated by the RCP’s decision to become a charitable organisation, a move that imposes on it a legal commitment to act primarily in the public interest. The RCP also plans to extend membership to non-pharmacists, said the PDA.

The PDA said its decision to take up the Society’s former objective is “not a criticism of the new Royal College,” adding that it will “never seek to duplicate” the RCP’s role and will instead continue with its own ‘pharmacist first’ agenda and “seek to further enhance its role in this area”.  

The move also reflects a need to “provide a significant clarification as to where the emphasis of the Royal College must now be,” it said. 

P3pharmacy understands that the PDA views its new statutory objective as being in alignment with its defence role and that there are no immediate plans to offer new services to its more than 40,000 members. 

PDA chairman Mark Koziol said the new objective “simply codifies what the PDA already does,” adding: “The transition of the Royal Pharmaceutical Society into a Royal College reflects a deliberate and significant evolution in the professional leadership landscape for pharmacy, turning the Royal College into a public interest body.

“However, the need for pharmacist-first support in day-to-day practice has not diminished and continues to grow.

“The PDA has always existed to provide leadership and support to protect pharmacists’ interests and has a powerful track record of supporting them in real-world practice, when their professional judgement is tested, their actions are scrutinised and their careers are on the line.

“As the pharmacy professional leadership landscape evolves, the PDA takes great pride in adopting the old charter objective to safeguard, maintain the honour and promote the interests of pharmacists in the exercise of their profession. 

“With renewed vigour and a clarification of who leads what in the profession, we will now develop this ‘pharmacist’ first role even further and continue to ensure that practising pharmacists have a dedicated, independent organisation.  

“One with a constitution focused solely upon representing their interests, supporting their professional judgement and defending their reputation through the realities of modern practice.”