News

Alert over too strong painkillers

20 April 2012

BPS member, Professor Donald Singer contributes to Daily Express article, Alert over too strong painkillers.

BPS CEO Appointment

29 March 2012

We are delighted to announce the appointment of Jonathan Brüün as Chief Executive of the British Pharmacological Society, with effect from 6 June 2012.

Jonathan has worked with the BPS since the summer of 2009, when he was recruited to the position of Head of Communications and Development, going on to become Director of Communications and Business Development in 2011. He replaces Kate Baillie, who has served the Society as CEO since 2007. Kate joins the Biochemical Society as CEO in early June.

Healthcare community agree on principles for working together to improve patient health

28 March 2012

Healthcare leaders from across the UK have today published a new set of guidelines to promote positive collaboration between health organizations and the pharmaceutical industry and help guide their working practices and interaction. The statement of best practice was signed by 18 healthcare organizations, including the BPS, Department of Health, the Scottish Government and the Welsh Government.

Do doctors take a daily aspirin?

27 March 2012

Professor David Webb, BPS member and Vice-President of meetings, contributes to a Daily Mail health article, 'Do doctors take a daily aspirin? As it's revealed the drug fights cancer as well as heart attacks, we ask the experts if THEY use it'. 

Antidepressant Use During Pregnancy and High Blood Pressure

22 March 2012

BJCP press release

Use of selective serotonin re-uptake inhibitor (SSRI) antidepressants during pregnancy appears to be linked with increased risk of pregnancy induced high blood pressure (“hypertension”), but a causal link has not been established.

Pregnancy hypertension is sometimes linked with pre-eclampsia, a serious condition that can harm pregnant women and their unborn babies. But the authors stress that pregnant women should not stop taking their prescribed medication; instead they should seek a consultation with their doctor if they are concerned.

Intellectual Property Office - Consultation on Copyright

07 March 2012

As you may already know, the UK Intellectual Property Office (IPO) is currently consulting on recommendations relating to copyright arising from the Hargreaves Review, and seeking relevant evidence on the potential of the proposed measures to improve the contribution of the copyright system to UK economic growth. BPS is planning to respond to this consultation, and we hope that you may wish to contribute.

Professor Dame Nancy Rothwell appointed to advise Prime Minister

07 February 2012

Congratulations to BPS member Professor Dame Nancy Rothwell, who has been appointed as the new co-chair of the Council for Science and Technology.

AstraZeneca announce 7300 job cuts

02 February 2012

AstraZeneca's 7,300 job cuts will happen over the next two years as part of a new restructuring programme to save $1.6bn (£1bn) a year. It is the third restructuring programme the company has carried out since 2007. AstraZeneca cut 12,600 positions between 2007 and 2009.

If you're currently working at AZ and want to see how BPS can help you, email info@bps.ac.uk.

Nursing Home Residents with Dementia: Antidepressants Are Associated With Increased Risk of Falling

18 January 2012

BJCP press release

Nursing Home Residents with Dementia: Antidepressants Are Associated With Increased Risk of Falling
Nursing home residents with dementia who use average doses of selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SSRIs) are three times more likely to have an injurious fall than similar people who don’t use these drugs. The association can be seen in people who use low doses of SSRIs and the risk increases as people take higher doses. The results are published in the British Journal of Clinical Pharmacology.

Press release

Press coverage

BBC
Health on the Net Foundation
Rocket News
Australasian Science

A message from BPS President and President-Elect

12 January 2012

It is with regret that one of our first duties as President and President-Elect must be to announce that our Chief Executive, Kate Baillie will be leaving the Society later this year.

Kate has accepted the position of Chief Executive of the Biochemical Society, and her last day at BPS will be 1 June 2012.

Kate's departure will be a great loss to the BPS. I'm also sure that you will join us in congratulating her on her new role, and we wish her every success in her future career.

We are already discussing plans to recruit Kate's successor, and will put in place interim arrangements if necessary, to ensure that the transition occurs with minimum disruption to BPS activities. We will be keeping members up to date with developments, and look forward to confirming a new Chief Executive of our Society in the coming months.