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The Pharmaceutical Journal
Vol 270 No 7252 p786
7 June 2003

Related websites
Leeds University: Pharmacy Profession and the School of Healthcare Studies (more)
University of East Anglia: Pharmacy (more)

Leeds seeks own school of pharmacy

Pharmacy students may soon get lectures in Leeds

The University of Leeds has confirmed that it is considering setting up a school of pharmacy.

The news that Leeds would like to provide an undergraduate pharmacy course was broken by Professor Theo Raynor, head of the pharmacy practice and medicines management group at the university's academic pharmacy practice unit. He was speaking during his inaugural lecture on 28 May.

The university is also considering setting up an interdisciplinary institute for pharmacy and medicines. The institute would bring together researchers from established departments at the university. These would include pharmaceutical engineering, pharmaceutical chemistry, pharmacology, pharmacy practice and clinical pharmacy. These are well-established groups but currently are isolated in different faculties across Leeds. Professor Raynor said that, brought together, the groups would form a strong backbone for a pharmacy degree course and for interdisciplinary research. "We are working towards a detailed business plan at the moment," he said. The project is being led by Professor Raynor, Professor Kevin Roberts, head of chemical engineering at the university, and Dr Liz Kay, chief pharmacist at Leeds Teaching Hospitals NHS Trust.

UEA head of school Professor Duncan Craig, MRPharmS, has been appointed head of the new school of pharmacy at the University of East Anglia. The school will take its first pharmacy students in September.

Professor Craig has been appointed head of pharmacy and given a chair in pharmaceutics by the university. He currently holds a chair in biophysical pharmacy at the school of pharmacy, Queen's University of Belfast. The UEA has recently appointed lecturers and senior lecturers in pharmacy practice, pharmaceutics, pharmaceutical chemistry and pharmacology.