Why UK pharmacy must adapt to the increasing demands of professionalism in practice.

Objective To make a case for why UK pharmacy must adapt to the increasing demands of professionalism in practice.

Methods A review based on evidence from the literature and personal opinion.

Key findings Pharmacists, just as with other occupational groups, have over the years been developing and fine‐tuning ways through which they can attain full professional status and therefore command the same level of recognition and respect as the main traditional professions, notably medicine and law. Many commentators, however, believe that this ambition is far from being realised. Their argument is that the path to professional status is not that easily available to all occupations. Although there is a professionalisation process that the traditional professions go through, it has been argued that services provided by pharmacy, beyond dispensing, can also promote its level of professionalism; for example, extensive counseling, medication therapy management, health screening, compounding or provision of durable medical equipment.

Conclusions As UK pharmacy and the wider UK National Health Service undergo changes and reconfiguration it is hoped that the creation of the new professional body for pharmacy (the Royal Pharmaceutical Society) will help pharmacy in the UK develop the ideals of professionalism.