[sweethunni01]

Has anyone come across an interesting article about pharmacy/issues in pharmacy? i.e current affairs

[Mr. Orange]

The Pharmacy Times?

[TigerSwift]

If you go to the Royal Pharmaceutical Society of Great Britain's (RPSGB) website they have just released a prospectus for the New Professional Body (NPB) for Pharmacy. The NPB is being made because the RPSGB is undergoing a demerger of its regulatory and professional leadership functions. The NPB will take over the professional leadership roles. The prospectus came from a group called the Transitional Committee - who were formed to gather the current RPSGB members' views on what the NPB should be like. And before the Transitional Committee there was the Clarke Enquiry which asked questions like, who should be part of the NPB and what it could offer.

RPSGB website: Click here!
Transitional Committee: Click here!
The Clarke Enquiry: Click here!
Students Have a voice too: Click here!!!

[sweethunni01]

so the RPSGB will be the regulatory body and the NPB will be the professional leadership body? what is the general pharmaceutical councill?

[TigerSwift]

No, the RPSGB will not exit, it is literally getting split into two new bodies. Though many of the people working there will move to the NPB.

Yes, the NPB will be the professional leadership body. The General Pharmaceutical Council will regulate the pharmacy profession. It will have stronger links with the government, much like the General Medical Council.

[sweethunni01]

so the RSPGB name will no longer exist

[Danielle89]

Pharmaceutical Journal is apparently the definitive pharmacy newsletter. At least its the one we're always being told to buy at uni

[TigerSwift]

No. The split was meant to be complete as of 01/01/2009. However, government is taking its time in accepting a piece of legislation so the new date for the split is "in 2010."

[sweethunni01]

can i clarify. Atm the RPSBG is the regulatory body AND the professional leadership body. In 2010 this will split into the general pharmaceutical council which will be the regulatory body, AND a new professional body (yet to be named)

what is the difference between a regulatory body and a professional leadership body?

[maria_b]

Originally Posted by sweethunni01

Has anyone come across an interesting article about pharmacy/issues in pharmacy? i.e current affairs

cancer drugs....hospital bug acinetobacter erm...lots. just go on BBC news and click on health.

[TigerSwift]

Originally Posted by sweethunni01

can i clarify. Atm the RPSBG is the regulatory body AND the professional leadership body. In 2010 this will split into the general pharmaceutical council which will be the regulatory body, AND a new professional body (yet to be named)

what is the difference between a regulatory body and a professional leadership body?

What you said in the first paragraph is correct.

The GPharmC: This will be the regulatory body. They will oversee the pharmacy profession by making sure pharmacists are fit for practice, investigating any mistakes that are made, oversee the education of qualified and undergraduate pharmacists.

The NPB: This is the professional body. The aim of the professional body will be to support its members in many ways. It should help them with their continual education through events, meetings and publications - thus allowing them to meet the regulators standards for practice. The NPB should also become the strongest voice that the pharmacy profession has, thus it should eventually lobby various government organisations and other professions to make sure that pharmacists are heard and we get what we want.