The Royal College of Pharmacy, the professional body for Britain's 34,000 pharmacists, said it had ended Teva UK's sponsorship and exhibition presence "with immediate effect" after a due diligence review raised "the possibility of certain Teva Pharmaceuticals activities which do not align with our values."
The college did not specify which activities prompted the decision, which came after it became a charity in April and began reviewing its policies. Teva UK was due to exhibit at four of the college's events as part of a £15,000 deal.
The move follows the Royal College of Nursing's decision last week to cut its longstanding ties with Teva UK, dropping the company as a sponsor of the union and of an event on headache and migraine. The RCN represents 500,000 nurses.
Both decisions came after an open letter from campaigners including UK Healthcare Petitions to Royal Colleges (UKHPRC), signed by pharmacists and other health professionals. The letter noted that the Royal Pharmaceutical Society, the college's predecessor, stopped investing in funds involving Russian firms after Russia's invasion of Ukraine in 2022, and urged the college to apply similar "ethical scrutiny" to its investments and commercial partnerships in relation to Israel.
Teva, which said it was "disappointed" at being dropped, argued that healthcare should not become "politicised."
UKHPRC welcomed the decisions, saying: "We hope this reflects the ethical concerns that the public expects from healthcare professionals." The group is now urging other royal colleges, including those representing GPs, psychiatrists and hospital doctors, to shun the company.