• Professor Christopher Langley is an academic pharmacist, professor of pharmacy law and practice and head of Aston Pharmacy School

• He is one of six new members of the General Pharmaceutical Council’s governing council appointed by the Privy Council

• The governing council is responsible for setting the organisation’s strategic direction and upholding its statutory role to protect the health of patients.

The head of Aston Pharmacy School, Professor Christopher Langley, has been appointed to the General Pharmaceutical Council’s (GPhC) governing council from 2027 by the Privy Council.

The GPhC is the regulatory body for pharmacists, pharmacy technicians and pharmacies in Great Britain. It was set up by the UK and Scottish parliaments but remains independent from government. It is funded by registered members, including pharmacists, pharmacy technicians and pharmacies.

The governing council of the GPhC is made up of both pharmacy professionals and members of the public. It is responsible for setting the organisation’s strategic direction, ensuring it operates effectively and efficiently, and upholding its statutory role to protect, promote and maintain the health, safety and wellbeing of patients and the public.

All governing council members are appointed by the Privy Council and are drawn from a wide range of professional and public backgrounds, ensuring a balance of registrant and lay perspectives to inform decision-making.

Professor Langley is one of six new members of the governing council. He is an academic pharmacist and professor of pharmacy law and practice at Aston University. He is a governor at the Royal Orthopaedic Hospital NHS Foundation Trust, chair of the Accreditation Panel at the Pharmaceutical Society of Ireland and a former registrant member of the GPhC Fitness to Practise Committee.

The other five appointees are lay members Anita Charlesworth and Sheila Kumar, pharmacy technician members Elizabeth Fidler (senior professional advisor in the Chief Pharmaceutical Officer’s Office at NHS England) and Claire Dearden (medicines optimisation governance and service improvement lead at Staffordshire and Stoke-on -Trent Integrated Care Board) and pharmacist member Ben Hannan (director of service transformation, planning and performance at NHS Lanarkshire)

Professor Langley said:

“I am delighted to have been appointed to the governing council of the GPhC. With only seven pharmacy professionals being members of council, it is an enormous honour to be appointed. I am looking forward to using my experience as an academic pharmacist to help shape the profession’s regulatory approach to patient and public protection in the future.”

Gisela Abbam, chair of the GPhC, said:

“It is vital that our Council reflects a diverse range of skills, experience and perspectives so we can make well-informed decisions in the public interest.

“I am delighted to welcome Anita to the Council and look forward to welcoming Sheila, Christopher, Liz, Ben and Claire next year. They each bring a wealth of expertise and insight which will strengthen our work as we continue to respond to changes in pharmacy and healthcare.

“I would also like to thank all those who applied for these important roles, and I look forward to working with our new members to deliver safe, effective and inclusive pharmacy regulation for patients and the public.”