Tase Oputu’s election as the first President of the Royal College of Pharmacy in 2026 marked a significant moment for British pharmacy. For a profession concerned with the health of millions, it also brought an experienced NHS leader and committed advocate for racial equity to a position of national influence.
Born and raised in Brixton to Nigerian parents, Tase grew up with an understanding of the value of education. Her father was a nurse, helping to spark her interest in healthcare. Her mother, who raised five children, impressed upon her the importance of gaining qualifications and establishing a profession.
In a reflection published by Barts Health NHS Trust, Tase recalled the racism her mother experienced while working in the 1970s. Education offered something enduring: knowledge and skills that belonged to you. That belief helped shape her determination to succeed and her concern for the opportunities available to others.
Her career has taken her through hospital pharmacy, senior NHS responsibilities and professional leadership. Alongside her work in Britain, she volunteered in Tanzania, an experience she has described as renewing her appreciation of the NHS and strengthening her desire to make a positive difference to people’s lives.
Today, she serves as Associate Director for Medicines Optimisation, Medicines Value and Performance at NHS Kent and Medway Integrated Care Board. Behind that lengthy title is work with a bearing on patients: helping ensure that medicines are used safely, effectively and fairly, while making responsible use of NHS resources.
Her responsibilities include high-cost medicines, governance and performance across the health system. These are decisions with consequences for people managing illness, receiving treatment or relying on medication to maintain their independence. Bringing professional judgement to those decisions is an important part of protecting both patient care and the sustainability of services.
Tase’s national leadership developed alongside this clinical and organisational experience. Elected to the Royal Pharmaceutical Society’s English Pharmacy Board in 2021, she became its Chair in 2023. She helped guide the profession during the transition towards a Royal College, before being elected its first President in March 2026.
As President, she leads the College’s Senate, helping to shape its professional direction. The responsibility gives her an opportunity to influence how pharmacists are represented and supported, and how their expertise informs discussions about healthcare.
For Amandeep Doll, who nominated Tase for Honouring Black Britain 2026, her commitment to inclusion is central to understanding her contribution. The nomination describes someone who has consistently highlighted the experiences of Black pharmacy professionals and encouraged colleagues to take their place in decision-making.
That commitment has included NHS staff network activity and helping to deliver the Royal Pharmaceutical Society’s first major event focused on Black and minority ethnic professionals. Such work creates opportunities for colleagues to share experiences, raise concerns and discuss obstacles that can otherwise remain outside formal professional conversations.
Tase has drawn attention to the under-representation of Black professionals in senior positions. Her response has included mentoring and encouraging others to seek roles of influence. For people considering their next step, that encouragement can help turn an uncertain ambition into an application, a conversation or a willingness to put themselves forward.
Her nomination connects this work to a wider belief in public service. It recognises the importance of a leader who understands that professional excellence and fair access to opportunity belong together. Supporting talented colleagues to progress strengthens the institutions in which they work and broadens the experience available to inform decisions.
In July, Tase was named joint Pharmacist of the Year at the Black Healthcare Awards, sharing the honour with Dr Yeyenta Osasu. Presented by the Caribbean and African Health Network, the award recognised her leadership, contribution to pharmacy and commitment to tackling health inequalities.
The recognition brought together several strands of her career: care for patients, service to her profession and sustained attention to whose voices are heard. Those priorities connect her everyday NHS responsibilities with the national role she now holds.
Becoming the first President of a Royal College is an achievement that will remain part of the profession’s history. The work that follows will be measured through the organisation she helps build, the colleagues it supports and its contribution to better healthcare.
Tase brings to that task the experience of an NHS pharmacist and the conviction that opportunities should be open to everyone. From Brixton to national leadership, she has carried forward a belief in education and service, while encouraging others to recognise the value of their own experience and the contribution they can make.
Nominated for Honouring Black Britain 2026 by Amandeep Doll