The Pharmaceutical Journal
Vol 270 No 7238 p316
1 March 2003

Society summary

Manchester to host BPC from 2004

The Manchester International Convention Centre (MICC) has been chosen as a long-term home for the annual British Pharmaceutical Conference from next year. A firm booking has been made for BPC 2004 and provisional bookings for the following four years. The dates are as follows:

• 2004 — 27 to 29 September

• 2005 — 26 to 28 September

• 2006 — 25 to 27 September

• 2007 — 10 to 12 September

• 2008 — 8 to 10 September

The chairman of the Society's Conference Committee, Wally Dove, said: "We are looking to move BPC forward as the conference for pharmacy practice and science. We held a highly successful event in Manchester in 2002 and we believe that the venue is ideal for the biggest pharmacy event held in Britain. Manchester is a great location and the MICC provides a venue that meets the needs of the BPC and its delegates."

Since the British Pharmaceutical Conference began in 1864, it has been held at venues all over Britain, from Aberdeen to Plymouth and from Llandudno to Norwich. It has also occasionally been held overseas — in Dublin four times, Belfast twice and, most recently, in Jersey in 1986. Until now the conference has only visited the same place two years running as a consequence of war, which led to small conferences being held in London from 1915 to 1919 and from 1949 to 1946.

BPC 2003 is being held at Harrogate International Centre from Monday 15 to Wednesday 17 September. The conference theme this year is "Delivering innovation for patients". The programme will examine the development and delivery of breakthroughs in treatment and diagnosis by pharmacists in both industry and practice. The symposium sessions will focus on innovation in cancer care, paediatric pharmacy and the delivery of innovation to patients (PJ, 25 January 2003, p135)

Further information about the conference can be obtained from
Angela Lyons (events manager)
Health Links
Windsor House, 11a High Street, Kings Heath, Birmingham B14 7BB
Tel 0121 248 3399; fax 0121 248 3390
e-mail alyons@health-links.fsnet.co.uk)

The provisional programme and other information can be accessed online through the events section of the Royal Pharmaceutical Society's website or directly from the Health Links website. The Society's website also offers links from its homepage and from the "What's new on this site" section.

The online information also includes calls for papers for the science and practice research sessions. The closing dates 25 April for science abstracts and 31 March for practice research abstracts.