The Pharmaceutical Journal
Vol 268 No 7189 p377-379
16 March 2002

Society summary

Society promotes pharmacy's "healthy Scotland" potential to MSPs

Following publication of the Scottish government's strategy for pharmaceutical care, "The right medicine", the Royal Pharmaceutical Society in Scotland has begun a campaign to promote pharmacy's potential for improving health in Scotland. The Society is spreading its message during all four major political party conferences in Scotland this year.

At the recent Scottish Labour Party Conference in Perth, a Society stand on the theme of "Pharmacists working for a healthier Scotland" attracted interest from a number of members of the Scottish Parliament, including First Minister Jack McConnell. The stand was manned by volunteers from the Society's Scottish Executive and the Dundee and East of Scotland Branch. Other politicians who spoke with the Society's representatives included the Minister for Health and Community Care, Malcolm Chisholm, his deputy, Hugh Henry, and the Deputy Minister for Justice, Dr Richard Simpson.

The Society also hosted a fringe meeting on "Improving public health through pharmacy", at which the speakers were Susan Deacon, the former Minister for Health and Community Care, and Angela Timoney, specialist in pharmaceutical public health at Tayside Health Board). The meeting was chaired by David Thomson, chief pharmacist at Greater Glasgow Primary Care NHS Trust and deputy chairman of the Scottish Executive.