The 137th meeting of the British Pharmaceutical Conference takes place at the International Convention Centre, Birmingham, from Sunday, September 10, to Wednesday, September 13. The overall theme will be "Medicines: the future horizon". This page updates and expands on aspects of the previously published programme
Members of the Royal Pharmaceutical Society will be able to learn about all aspects of its work when the Society unveils a new exhibition stand at Pharmacy Live, the exhibition held in conjunction with the 2000 British Pharmaceutical Conference.
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Further information
Information about the Birmingham conference programme was published in a six-page feature in The Journal of July 15 (p105-110). Fuller programme details can be found on the Society's website (www.rpsgb.org.uk/330.htm).
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In addition, the Society's Pharmacy in a New Age co-ordinator (Mrs Anne Adams) will be on the stand to talk to pharmacists interested in the work of pharmacy development groups. The Society's membership manager (Ms Amanda King) will be available to meet branch and regional representatives.
Commenting on the new stand, the Society's Secretary and Registrar (Miss Ann Lewis) said: "Our stand at Pharmacy Live will offer an excellent opportunity for members to gain a closer insight into the working of Lambeth and to obtain first-hand information about our work and future plans."
Pharmacy Live is open on Sunday, September 10, and Monday, September 11, in Hall 3 at the International Convention Centre. All conference members are free to visit the exhibition without needing separate registration. Pharmacists who are not attending the conference can obtain Pharmacy Live tickets by telephoning 020 8462 0721 or visiting the Pharmacy Live website at www.pharmacylive.co.uk.
The National Association of Women Pharmacists has organised a study session on reflexology at the British Pharmaceutical Conference. All conference members will be welcome, it says. The session will focus on developments in reflexology and their implications for pharmacy. There will also be a practical demonstration. The session takes place on the afternoon of Sunday, September 10, from 2.15pm, in Hall 11b of the International Conference Centre.
Drama is to be used to examine three issues in pharmacy during lunchtime sessions at the British Pharmaceutical Conference. The Loud Mouth Educational Theatre Co is to present a dramatic performance called "Julie and the pharmacist", looking at emergency hormonal contraception (Sunday), access to care (Monday) and asthma (Tuesday).
The drama group's work aims to use humour and drama to raise awareness of key health and communication issues in a fresh and accessible way. The group's performances are designed to stimulate audiences into viewing common problems or situations from a different perspective, with the drama acting as a trigger for discussion of possible courses of action.
The group develops its work through research of the topic with people directly involved with the issues. This is done to ensure that the material honestly reflects the issues and allows the characters in the drama to voice common concerns and opinions.
The rector of Birmingham (Mr Adrian Newman) is to address this year's British Pharmaceutical Conference ecumenical service, which is open to all. The service will take place in Hall 7 of the International Convention Centre on Sunday, September 10, at 5.30pm, following the conclusion of the afternoon conference.
Readings will be given by the Royal Pharmaceutical Society's President (Mrs Christine Glover) and the Conference Science Chairman (Professor Martyn Davies).
Father Tony Joyce (Roman Catholic) and Major Julia Johnson (Salvation Army) will contribute to the service with musical accompaniment.
A British pharmacist engaged in research in the United States is to be awarded the British Pharmaceutical Conference science medal for 2000. He will give his award lecture at the 2001 conference in Glasgow.
The medal winner is Dr Bruno C. Hancock, who is a senior research investigator in Pfizer Inc's global research and development division in Groton, Connecticut. He leads a group that is developing techniques to characterise the physical and mechanical properties of new pharmaceutical materials.
Dr Hancock's research is primarily focused on the use of non-crystalline drugs and excipients to prepare pharmaceutical dosage forms. Such materials exist in a high energy state compared to conventional crystalline solids and frequently exhibit significantly enhanced biological activity and reactivity.
Dr Hancock graduated in pharmacy from the University of Bath and went on to gain a PhD from the University of Bradford. He held a post-doctoral research appointment at the University of Wisconsin and worked at ICI Pharmaceuticals (now Astra Zeneca) in the United Kingdom and Merck Frosst in Canada before taking his present position. He has served as an adviser to the United States Pharmacopeia and has supervised the research of students from Canada, the United States, and Europe.
This year's conference science medal lecturer - and last year's medal winner - is Dr Andrew Lloyd, of the University of Brighton. His lecture, to be given at 2pm on Monday, September 11, in Hall 9 of the international Convention Centre, Birmingham, will describe his work in the development of new materials to improve the longevity of medical implants and reduce the need for revision surgery (PJ, May 13, p737).