Politics

Q&A: UK general election 2017: pharmacists react

The Pharmaceutical Journal interviews pharmacists from across the nation to get their thoughts on the results of the UK general election in June 2017.…

Sustainability and transformation plans: working together is not going to be easy

It is vital that pharmacy engages with sustainability and transformation plans now to avoid being left behind.…

The future of the RPS depends on member engagement

In light of the pitiful turnout for the recent Royal Pharmaceutical Society (RPS) pharmacy board elections, it is timely to give some serious thought to the relationship between the RPS and its members. I was hopeful for a healthy turnout, given the ‘noise’ of social media activity, but …

How drug prices are hiked and what is being done to tackle the problem

There has been negative publicity in the national press about drug manufacturers increasing the price of some medicines significantly: so called ‘price gouging’. These increased prices are then passed on to the NHS, and lead to headlines quoting multi-million pound figures.…

Into the unknown: UK pharmacovigilance after Brexit

Julia Robinson reports from a meeting discussing the implications of Brexit on UK pharmacovigilance.…

Chief pharmaceutical officer of England ought to be congratulated

From Graham Phillips’s letter about his attendance at the ‘Quality for patients: pharmacy practice now and in the future’ conference ( The Pharmaceutical Journal 2017;298:234), I thought he was going to report on the conference but all he offered was…

US Senate confirms Scott Gottlieb as new FDA commissioner

Scott Gottlieb has been confirmed as the new commissioner of the US Food and Drug Administration in a Senate vote (of 57 to 42). The decision, confirmed on 9 May 2017, has not been without controversy, however, as Gottlieb has links to the pharmaceutical industry, where he has earned hundreds …

The time for action is now

The writing is on the wall or, to be more precise, the writing is in the ‘Five year forward view’, the Murray report and your local sustainability and transformation plans (STPs). Allow me to summarise: an ageing population, living longer, suffering from more long-term conditions m…

One true voice for pharmacy

The Royal Pharmaceutical Society (RPS) must overtly support all sectors of our profession, address our issues and capitalise upon opportunities. There is confusion as to the role of a professional body. The RPS is not the regulator, negotiator or trade union. We have organisations fulfilling t…

What makes a good quality RPS pharmacy board member

Following my first full term I have been reflecting on my time as a Royal Pharmaceutical Society (RPS) English Pharmacy Board member and the opportunities still to be realised.…