Dr Michael Isaac Barnett, FRPharmS, of 47 Black Oak Road, Cyncoed, Cardiff CF12 6QU, died on March 10, aged 63 years. He was a former chairman of the Royal Pharmaceutical Society's Welsh Executive.
Michael Barnett studied pharmacy in Cardiff at the Welsh school of pharmacy, where he was chairman of the Welsh Pharmaceutical Students Association for 1957-58 and treasurer for 1958-59. After registering as a pharmacist in 1960, he went on to gain MPharm and PhD degrees, qualifying also as a chartered chemist and becoming a member of the Royal Society of Chemistry.
His career was spent on the academic staff of the Welsh school of pharmacy, beginning with an appointment as lecturer in pharmaceutical technology in 1959. He was later promoted to senior lecturer in pharmaceutics and since 1993 had been a senior research fellow. His research focused on formulation problems, particularly those associated with particle size analysis.
For many years from 1976 he was a visiting professor in the department of pharmaceutics at the University of Uppsala, Sweden, which recognised his work with an honorary doctorate. He had also acted for many years as a consultant to a Swedish pharmaceutical company.
Dr Barnett was a former chairman (1966) and secretary of the Society's Monmouthshire and Newport branch. He was first elected to the Welsh Executive in 1987 and went on to serve for 12 years before deciding to stand down in 1999. He was vice-chairman of the executive for two years from 1990 and chairman for three years from 1992.
He was a former member of the senate (1975-78) and the council (1982-88) of the University of Wales institute of science and technology, and of the senate of the University of Wales College of Cardiff from 1988 to 1993. He was also a past chairman of the Welsh school of pharmacy postgraduate board of studies in pharmacy (1978-79) and undergraduate board of studies in pharmacy (1980-84).
Dr Barnett was chairman of Royal Society of Chemistry particle size characterisation group from 1988 to 1990 and of the pharmacy group of the European Society of Parenteral and Enteral Nutrition for three consecutive years from 1992. He served for a number of years on the British Pharmacopoeia's working party on particulate contamination in intravenous fluids. He also served on the manpower, education and training committee of South Glamorgan health authority from 1988 to 1992.
He was designated a fellow of the Society in 1995 for distinction in the profession of pharmacy.
Dr Barnett leaves a wife, two sons and a daughter. His funeral on March 13 was attended by about 200 mourners.