The Pharmaceutical Journal
Vol 271 No 7257 p69
12 July 2003

Society summary

Society to hold antibiotic resistance session at BA Festival of Science

The Royal Pharmaceutical Society is to hold a session entitled "Resistance to antibiotics and the treatment of infectious diseases" at this year's BA Festival of Science, organised by the British Association for the Advancement of Science.

The festival takes place from 8 to 12 September at the University of Salford, with the Society's three-hour session being held from 1pm on Monday 8 September. The session will look at antibiotic resistance from the perspective of both the patient and the health care professional. It will also cover what academia and the pharmaceutical industry are doing to develop new drugs and therapies to combat resistance.

Speakers at the session are Professor Roger Finch (division of microbiology and infectious diseases, University of Nottingham), Dr Hayley Wickens (St Mary's Hospital, London), Professor Stephen Gillespie (Royal Free and University College Medical School, London), Dr Peter Taylor (School of Pharmacy, University of London) and Dr Jonathan Cooke (South Manchester University Hospitals NHS Trust).

The chairman of the Society's Science Committee, Dr Nicola Gray, who will chair the session, said: "Our future success in treating infection totally depends on a good partnership between the public and health professionals. Both groups need to know how to use these medicines effectively — and equally when not to use them. The Society believes that the Department of Health funding for pharmacists to play a more central role in tackling of the problem in hospitals is a crucial step forward. But we also need to increase general understanding of the scientific basis of resistance, and work together to avoid squandering the effectiveness of our antibiotics."

Further information about the festival and details of how to book can be found on the BA website or by telephoning 020 7973 3052.