Where next for the RPS?

摘要

Given the negative background - the alienation of the old Royal Pharmaceutical Society from its members and its failure as a professional body - the new RPS had a remarkably good first year. As a former Society council member and latterly a member of the English Pharmacy Board, I have been privileged to witness first-hand the transformation that has taken place at Lambeth. So entrenched was the excessive regulatory zeal in the old organisation that it took huge efforts, combined with many newstaff, to bring about the change. The former Society thought it wasbetter than its members, whereasthe new RPS recognises that it is its members. My best guess is that the Society of old would haveretained perhaps 20 per cent of itsmembers (had membership been voluntary) so the fact that we ended up with over 34,000members (around 70 per cent ofthe number of General Pharmaceutical Council registrants) is an excellent resultand a testament to change.Member satisfaction with the organisation is now regularly tracked and the results areencouraging.