The Pharmaceutical Journal Vol 267 No 7175 p733-738
24 November 2001

This article
Reprint
Photocopy

News summary

"Square" admits two to fellowship

Dr Donald Straughan, former Wellcome professor of pharmacology at the School of Pharmacy, University of London, and Christopher Barrett, former chief pharmacist at the London Hospital, have been made fellows of the School of Pharmacy.

At a dinner to mark their admission to fellowship, Professor Trevor Smart, the current Wellcome professor of pharmacology, said that Dr Straughan was an innovative scientist who had grasped the value of interdepartmental and international, collaboration. He had started in neuroscientific research at a time when little was known about how the brain worked — no-one knew how barbiturates or benzodiazepines acted and there was little understanding of the significance of GABA or other neurotransmitters.

Dr Straughan had lit the fire of neuroscience, Professor Smart said.

After 10 years, Dr Straughan had moved to Glaxo as director of pharmacology and his interest in 5-HT had led the company into antidepressants that were ahead of their time. Subsequently, Dr Straughan had become a Home Office animal scientific procedures inspector.

Introducing Mr Barrett, professor of the practice of pharmacy Nick Barber, said that Mr Barrett had had a remarkable career and had made a name for himself nationally and internationally for the introduction of pioneering services in hospital pharmacy. He had graduated from the "Square" in 1960 and had been appointed the London Hospital's chief pharmacist at only 28 years of age, remaining there until retirement. It had been said that Mr Barrett, the youngest candidate, had been appointed because the pharmacy department was such a shambles that it was a lifetime's work to sort it out.

Chris Barrett had pioneered what had been a seismic change in the practice of hospital pharmacy — ward pharmacy. At the time, pharmacists doubted their own ability to make the transition and Mr Barrett had wondered for the first year whether the change could be achieved and whether it would all go wrong.

Other innovations overseen by Mr Barrett before they were undertaken anywhere else included pharmacy drug information departments, the adjustment of doses for patients in renal failure by specialist pharmacists, radiopharmacy and centralised cytotoxic reconstitution.

Back to Top