The PJ Pod

On 15 April 2026, the Royal Pharmaceutical Society became the Royal College of Pharmacy and — as Karen Baxter, the organisation's interim chief executive, says — that date “isn't the end of this story: it's just the foundation stone”.

In this episode of The PJ Pod, Baxter and outgoing chief executive Paul Bennett reflect on the journey up until this moment, the path that now lies ahead and the sense of optimism that surrounds this historic moment.

Thank you to Karen and Paul for taking time out to share their thoughts with us.

This episode was presented by reporter Corrinne Burns and produced by Geoff Marsh.

On 15 April 2026, the Royal Pharmaceutical Society became the Royal College of Pharmacy and — as Karen Baxter, the organisation's interim chief executive, says — that date “isn't the end of this story: it's just the foundation stone”.

In this episode of The PJ Pod, Baxter and outgoing chief executive Paul Bennett reflect on the journey up until this moment, the path that now lies ahead and the sense of optimism that surrounds this historic moment.

Thank you to Karen and Paul for taking time out to share their thoughts with us.

This episode was presented by reporter Corrinne Burns and produced by Geoff Marsh.

In this episode of Pharmacy Inside Jobs, Alex Clabburn, senior editor — research and learning, talks to Shane Kailla, a principal pharmacist and advanced clinical practitioner working in acute and emergency medicine.

Shane has worked as an emergency department pharmacist since 2021, with his current role focused on establishing the first dedicated pharmacy provision within a large NHS trust in the West Midlands.

Listen to this episode to find out more about this rapidly developing area of pharmacy practice.

This episode was produced by Geoff Marsh.

In this episode of Pharmacy Inside Jobs, senior features editor Siobhan Chan talks to Li Shean Toh.

Toh is an astropharmacist, who is currently based at Monash University in Australia and also holds roles at the UK Space Agency and European Space Agency. She carries out clinical consultations, research and teaching into medicines management and the way our bodies process medication in microgravity. She also develops policy, works in space tourism and has co-founded a company called Apotech in Extreme, which aims to find pharmaceutical solutions for space exploration.

Before moving to her current role, Toh worked as a paediatric leukaemia pharmacist, as well as a GP pharmacist in rural Malaysia.

Listen to this episode to find out how to follow your academic interests and carve out your own niche in pharmacy research.

This episode was produced by Geoff Marsh.

Pharmacy Inside Jobs

Our PJ Pod series — Pharmacy Inside Jobs — has been developed to inspire you to take the next step in your career. Whether you are a pharmacy student or a seasoned pharmacy professional, our goal is to provide insights into the increasingly diverse roles that exist within the profession.

In each episode, we will be joined by a guest to explore their career journey so far, with a focus on their current role and the opportunities, challenges and rewards that it brings. We will also find out which skills are needed to succeed in their role and how you could follow in their footsteps.

In case you missed it, our first three Pharmacy Inside Jobs episodes featured prison pharmacist Kaniksha Aggarwal, who lifts the lid on what it is like to work as an advanced pharmacist specialist in a men’s prison; Gurmat Khangura, a specialist in neurodevelopmental conditions, who talks about his role conducting ADHD assessments for young people; and Sanjay Gudimetla, who reveals what it’s like to be a senior medical affairs manager within the pharmaceutical industry.

This episode of The PJ Pod looks at the importance of speaking up whenever you have a safety or wellbeing concern, and how exactly to go about that. We speak to Beth Carter, interim director of operations and strategy at the National Guardians Office; and Mark Pitt, pharmacist and director of defence services at the Pharmacists’ Defence Association, who set out what anyone working in pharmacy should know if they are thinking about raising concerns.

For links to further resources and sources of support when getting started in research visit The Pharmaceutical Journal website.

This episode is presented by Katherine Sole, editor of research and learning at The Pharmaceutical Journal, and produced by Geoff Marsh.