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It’s been a busy year for the Royal Pharmaceutical Society (RPS). The Society co-hosted the 2018 International Pharmaceutical Federation (FIP) Congress, which saw more than 3,000 delegates from 107 countries gather in Glasgow during 2–6 September. The Society used the congress to launch its professional development core curriculum, the product of five years’ work to help support pharmacists through their career development.
The 2018 elections brought new faces to the national pharmacy boards: in England, Thorrun Govind became the youngest person ever to be elected to the board, joined by former RPS president Hemant Patel. Wales welcomed Jodie Gwenter, and Dylan Lloyd Jones and in Scotland, Tamara Cairney and Andrew Carruthers were co-opted to fill two unoccupied positions on the Board.
2018 also saw a major reshuffle to the Society’s Executive team, with Gail Fleming and Ravi Sharma joining the team as director of education and director for England, respectively. In a change of role, Robbie Turner now leads the newly created directorate of pharmacy and member experience. Likewise, Harvinder Sondh and Jeremy Macdonald accepted new posts leading the directorates of innovation and enterprise, and technology. Alina Lourie stood down from her role as director of the Pharmaceutical Press, with Karen Baxter taking over in an interim capacity.
In October, the Society’s work to help guide members through the new pharmacy revalidation requirements was recognised at the Association Excellence Awards. Presenting the RPS with the ‘Best membership initiative by an association’ category, the judges commended the Society for working “as a single cross-functional team for the benefit of their members”.
Below are the ten most-read Your RPS articles of 2018, followed by five articles from 2017 that are still proving popular. If you have any feedback or content suggestions for Your RPS, please get in touch with Corrinne Burns at corrinne.burns@rpharms.com
- The changing role of the pharmacist in the 21st century
- Elections 2018: What is the biggest issue facing pharmacy?
- Updated RPS hospital pharmacy standards published
- Quick reference guide to Viagra as a pharmacy medicine
- Medicines, Ethics and Practice 42 out now
- Seven new pharmacy training courses from Health Education England
- Empowering pharmacy technicians is good for all of us
- ‘Irreplaceable’ president’s chain stolen in theft from RPS London headquarters
- Unwrapping the mystery of ancient cosmetics
- Q&A: Gino Martini, RPS chief scientist
Still popular from 2017
- Essential guide to the General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR)
- What relevant experience or expertise from your professional background will you bring to the RPS pharmacy board?
- MEP 41: guidance on new psychoactive substances and updates to continuing professional development
- RPS releases guidance for OTC supply of antimalarials
- Gonorrhoea and antibiotics — past, present and future
