International and intergovernmental organisations

RPS rejoins International Pharmaceutical Federation

Members of the Royal Pharmaceutical Society expressed strong support for rejoining the federation, after it left in December 2021 owing to concerns over the cost of membership.…

Monkeypox: a visual guide

As the monkeypox outbreak in the UK continues to spread and the World Health Organization declares it a public health emergency, we take a closer look at the infection, how it is transmitted and what steps are being taken to contain it.…

Royal college status to be pursued at ‘appropriate’ time, says RPS Assembly

The subject of royal college status was revisited in July's RPS Assembly meeting in response to a motion raised at the Society AGM in May 2022 that called for the RPS to "reaffirm this commitment" to seek Royal College status.…

RPS ends membership of international pharmacy body

Claire Anderson, president of the RPS, said Assembly members “felt that there was no perceptible value in membership of FIP”.…

Pharmacists advised not to send medication direct to Ukraine

The Guild of Healthcare Pharmacists is advising members and healthcare workers to make financial donations instead.…

Government to consult on national falsified medicines detection system

The government has said it plans to consult the public on a national scheme to detect falsified medicines in the supply chain within a year after laws enabling the potential new scheme are enacted.…

Pharmacists should be offered the COVID-19 vaccine as frontline workers

In the December 2020 issue of The Pharmaceutical Journal, there was a fitting tribute to the pharmacy staff in the UK who lost their lives to COVID-19. The deaths happened before face coverings were compulsory, personal protective equipment was available and protective screens were put in…

Wholesalers’ trade body says medicines supply will be ‘fine’ on the first day after Brexit transition period

The representative for wholesalers that provide 92% of the UK’s medicines has said he is confident that “everything will be fine” in terms of drugs supplies on day one after the end of the Brexit transition period.…

Martin Sawer: ‘On day one of Brexit, everything is going to be fine’

The executive director of the Healthcare Distribution Association is not concerned about immediate issues as soon as the Brexit transition period ends, but says there could be unforeseen knock-on effects on the availability of certain medicines.…

Falsified Medicines Directive will close in Great Britain at the end of 2020

Pharmacies in Great Britain should ensure that their systems are no longer connected to the UK Medicines Verification System at the end of 2020, the UK FMD Working Group for Community Pharmacy has said.…