Royal Pharmaceutical Society
Encyclopedia
The Royal Pharmaceutical Society (RPharmS or RPS) is the body responsible for the leadership and support of the pharmacy
profession within England
, Scotland
and Wales
. It was created along with the General Pharmaceutical Council
in September 2010 when the previous Royal Pharmaceutical Society of Great Britain
was split so that representative and regulatory functions of the pharmacy profession could be separated.
A pharmacist
is not required to be a member of the RPS to register to practise within the United Kingdom
. Currently membership is open to any individuals who are, or have ever been, on the register of pharmacists administered by the General Pharmaceutical Council or its predecessor the Royal Pharmaceutical Society of Great Britain. From the 1st of March 2011, a person that is studying for a pharmacy degree or who has a pharmacy a degree but has not yet become a registered pharmacist, is also eligible to become a member.
Since 2002 the Society has concentrated on developing the collection of historical and contemporary proprietary medicines.
The ground floor part of the museum in the RPS' reception is open during normal working houses, but the main parts may only be visited by appointment. In 1983 the Royal Pharmaceutical Society of Great Britain donated over 10,000 historic specimens of materia medica, including crude drugs, herbarium sheets and slides to the Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew. This material is now housed in the Economic Botany Collection (EBC) at Kew. The museum is a member of the London Museums of Health & Medicine
.
Pharmacy
Pharmacy is the health profession that links the health sciences with the chemical sciences and it is charged with ensuring the safe and effective use of pharmaceutical drugs...
profession within England
England
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...
, Scotland
Scotland
Scotland is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. Occupying the northern third of the island of Great Britain, it shares a border with England to the south and is bounded by the North Sea to the east, the Atlantic Ocean to the north and west, and the North Channel and Irish Sea to the...
and Wales
Wales
Wales is a country that is part of the United Kingdom and the island of Great Britain, bordered by England to its east and the Atlantic Ocean and Irish Sea to its west. It has a population of three million, and a total area of 20,779 km²...
. It was created along with the General Pharmaceutical Council
General Pharmaceutical Council
The General Pharmaceutical Council is the body responsible for the independent regulation of the pharmacy profession within England, Scotland and Wales, responsible for the regulation of pharmacists, pharmacy technicians and pharmacy premises...
in September 2010 when the previous Royal Pharmaceutical Society of Great Britain
Royal Pharmaceutical Society of Great Britain
The Royal Pharmaceutical Society of Great Britain was formerly the statutory regulatory and professional body for pharmacists and pharmacy technicians in England, Scotland and Wales...
was split so that representative and regulatory functions of the pharmacy profession could be separated.
A pharmacist
Pharmacist
Pharmacists are allied health professionals who practice in pharmacy, the field of health sciences focusing on safe and effective medication use...
is not required to be a member of the RPS to register to practise within the United Kingdom
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
. Currently membership is open to any individuals who are, or have ever been, on the register of pharmacists administered by the General Pharmaceutical Council or its predecessor the Royal Pharmaceutical Society of Great Britain. From the 1st of March 2011, a person that is studying for a pharmacy degree or who has a pharmacy a degree but has not yet become a registered pharmacist, is also eligible to become a member.
Publishing
The Society operates two divisions of RPS Publishing;-- The Pharmaceutical PressPharmaceutical PressPharmaceutical Press is the publishing division of the Royal Pharmaceutical Society...
publishes textbooks on a wide range of topics in pharmacy and pharmaceutical sciences including the British National FormularyBritish National FormularyThe British National Formulary is a medical and pharmaceutical reference book that contains a wide spectrum of information and advice on prescribing and pharmacology, along with specific facts and details about all medicines available on the National Health Service , including indication,...
, the British National Formulary for ChildrenBritish National Formulary for ChildrenThe British National Formulary for Children is the standard UK paediatric reference for prescribing and pharmacology, among others indications, side effects and costs of the prescription of all medication drugs available on the National Health Service....
and Martindale: The complete drug referenceMartindale: The complete drug referenceMartindale: The Complete Drug Reference is a reference book published by Pharmaceutical Press listing some 6,000 drugs and medicines used throughout the world, including details of over 161,000 proprietary preparations. It also includes 675 disease treatment reviews...
, - PJ Publications publishes the weekly professional journal The Pharmaceutical JournalThe Pharmaceutical JournalThe Pharmaceutical Journal is the official journal of the Royal Pharmaceutical Society, and before that the Royal Pharmaceutical Society of Great Britain....
and the monthly Clinical Pharmacist.
Royal Pharmaceutical Society Museum
The Royal Pharmaceutical Society of Great Britain had a museum collection since 1842, which continues to be managed by the RPS today at their offices in Lambeth. The exhibits cover all aspects of British pharmacy history, and include:- Traditional dispensing equipment.
- Drug storage containers.
- Fine "Lambeth delftware" dating from the 17th and 18th centuries.
- Proprietary (brand name) medicines dating from the 18th century to the present day.
- Bronze mortarMortar and pestleA mortar and pestle is a tool used to crush, grind, and mix solid substances . The pestle is a heavy bat-shaped object, the end of which is used for crushing and grinding. The mortar is a bowl, typically made of hard wood, ceramic or stone...
s. - Medical caricatures.
- A photo archive.
Since 2002 the Society has concentrated on developing the collection of historical and contemporary proprietary medicines.
The ground floor part of the museum in the RPS' reception is open during normal working houses, but the main parts may only be visited by appointment. In 1983 the Royal Pharmaceutical Society of Great Britain donated over 10,000 historic specimens of materia medica, including crude drugs, herbarium sheets and slides to the Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew. This material is now housed in the Economic Botany Collection (EBC) at Kew. The museum is a member of the London Museums of Health & Medicine
The London Museums of Health & Medicine
The London Museums of Health & Medicine is an organization that brings together some of the activities of some of the museums in London related to health and medicine...
.
See also
- Pharmaceutical industry in the United KingdomPharmaceutical industry in the United KingdomThe pharmaceutical industry in the United Kingdom directly employs around 72,000 people and in 2007 contributed £8.4 billion to the UK's GDP and invested a total of £3.9 billion in research and development...
- List of pharmacy organizations in the United Kingdom
- List of schools of pharmacy in the United Kingdom
- British National FormularyBritish National FormularyThe British National Formulary is a medical and pharmaceutical reference book that contains a wide spectrum of information and advice on prescribing and pharmacology, along with specific facts and details about all medicines available on the National Health Service , including indication,...
- The Pharmacy Practice Research TrustThe Pharmacy Practice Research TrustThe Pharmacy Practice Research Trust is an independent charity established in July 1999, by the Royal Pharmaceutical Society of Great Britain which supports and promotes the professional practice and development of pharmacists and develop the field of pharmacy practice research...