News | British Pharmacological Society

Spending Review: Invest in clinical pharmacology to support our NHS workforce

11 Oct 2021

The Society has worked with NHS England & Improvement (NHSEI), the Department for Health and Social Care (DHSC), and the Office for Life Sciences (OLS) to develop a future-focused vision for a multi-professional medicines service network embedded in every Integrated Care System (ICS) and across devolved nations. This will provide expertise to enable the NHS workforce and life sciences sector. It will help deliver healthcare and economic priorities through: management of multimorbidity and complex polypharmacy implementation of pharmacogenomics and precision medicine development of NHS capability in clinical research collaboration with life sciences for transformative treatments and attracting commercial research to the UK Investing in an NHS workforce that is ‘research ready’ and skilled in the development and use of medicines can help the UK to Build Back Better - by supporting delivery of the NHS Long Term Plan, the Life Sciences Vision, the Future of UK Clinical Research Delivery, the triple aim of Integrated Care Systems and helping cement the UK as a science superpower. In this representation, we ask government to make critical workforce investments now, to invest in a 12-month cross-sector task and finish group to develop this work, and to support associated work from the sector.

Cross-government strategy needed to reduce health inequalities

15 Sep 2021

Today, as part of the Inequalities in Health Alliance (IHA), the Society has signed a joint letter to the Prime Minister calling for a cross-government strategy to reduce health inequalities. The Alliance – a nearly 200-strong coalition - has been advocating for such a strategy since its launch in February 2020, following the publication of Health Equity in England: the Marmot review 10 years on – a seminal report which highlighted many stark disparities in health across England...

Society joins call to action on the climate crisis

06 Sep 2021

Today, the British Journal of Clinical Pharmacology has published a joint editorial calling for urgent action to tackle the global environmental crisis, in partnership with leading health journals worldwide. The journal has also announced a new themed series on the sustainable development and use of medicines, launching this in an accompanying editorial. The British Pharmacological Society joins its journal in its call for...

Society shares findings from 2021 member survey

29 Jul 2021

The Society shares the important findings from our 2021 member survey.

Society welcomes publication of new report on equity in the STEM workforce

20 Jul 2021

The Society welcomes publication of the report and recommendations arising from the All Party Parliamentary Group (APPG) on Diversity and Inclusion in STEM inquiry on ‘Equity in the STEM workforce’.

Society welcomes the government’s new life sciences vision

07 Jul 2021

The UK government has today published its ten-year strategy for the life sciences. Building on the successes of the COVID-19 response, the strategy aims to help the NHS to solve the UK’s biggest health challenges by creating an “environment in which industry can grow and succeed in the UK, and patients and the NHS can receive a real benefit”.

Society Honorary Fellow Sir Patrick Vallance appointed National Technology Adviser

21 Jun 2021

The UK Government’s Chief Scientific Advisor and Honorary Fellow of the British Pharmacological Society, Sir Patrick Vallance, has been appointed National Technology Advisor for the new Office for Science & Technology Strategy.

Members recognised in 2021 Queen’s Birthday Honours

16 Jun 2021

Several members of the Society have been recognised for their achievements in the 2021 Queen's Birthday Honours.

Society welcomes COVID-19 vaccine approval (updated 4 June 2021)

04 Jun 2021

On 2 December 2020, the government announced that it accepted the Medicines Healthcare products Regulatory Agency (MHRA) recommendation to approve Pfizer-BioNTech’s COVID-19 vaccine. The approval is the first in the world, for a vaccine that has undergone large-scale clinical trials. Update: On 4 June 2021 the MHRA approved an extension to the current UK approval of the Pfizer/BioNTech COVID-19 vaccine that allows its use in 12- to 15-year-olds.

Society welcomes new CQC strategy focus on research

27 May 2021

The independent regulator of health and social care in England, the Care Quality Commission (CQC), has today published its new strategy, recognising the benefits of clinical research to patient outcomes.