British Pharmacological Society

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British Pharmacological Society
British Pharmacological Society
Formation1931;92 years ago (1931)
PurposePharmacology
Region
United Kingdom

The British Pharmacological Society is the primary UK learned society for pharmacologists, concerned with research into drugs and the ways in which they work. Members work in academia, industry, regulatory agencies, and the health services, and many are medically qualified. The Society covers the whole spectrum of pharmacology, including laboratory, clinical, and toxicological aspects. [1]

Contents

Clinical pharmacology is the medical speciality dedicated to promoting safe and effective use of medicines for patient benefit. Many clinical pharmacologists work as consultants in the National Health Service and many hold prominent positions in UK universities and in regulatory bodies,such as the Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency (MHRA) and the National Institute of Health and Care Excellence (NICE). [2]

History

The Society was founded in 1931, in Oxford, by a group of about 20 pharmacologists. [3] They were brought together on the initiative of Professor James Andrew Gunn, through a letter signed by Gunn, Henry H. Dale, and Walter E. Dixon, and sent to the heads of university departments of pharmacology and of institutions for pharmacological research in Great Britain, with proposals for the formation of a pharmacological club. There were favorable replies to this letter, and most of the recipients met in Wadham College, Oxford, on the evening of 3 July 1931, the day before the meeting of the Physiological Society. Gunn presided over the meeting. It was agreed that a Society should be founded, to meet at least once a year for the reading of papers on pharmacological subjects and discussions of questions of teaching and publications and to promote friendly relations between pharmacologists. [4] [5]

The first female member of the society was Mary Pickford (1935), and other early eminent women members included Marthe Vogt and Edith Bülbring. [6]

Publications

The British Pharmacological Society publishes several works that promote pharmacology and clinical pharmacology:

Presidents

The office of President was formally created in 1999. Before that the role was taken by memebrrs of the Society under titles such as Secretary and General Secrtary. Since 2010, all previous General Secretaries and Presidents have been awarded the title President Emeritus.

Secretary and Treasurer

Secretary

General Secretary

President

Eminent pharmacologists

The society elects eminent, deceased contributors to the subject of pharmacology, whether or not they were members, to the Pharmacology Hall of Fame: [12]

Members of the society awarded the Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine include Black, Dale and Vane.[ citation needed ]

Fellows of the society

Fellowships (FBPhS) of the society are awarded to members who have made significant contributions to both the study of pharmacology and the Society. [15] A full list of Fellows is available here. [16] Honorary Fellowships (HonFBPhS) are awarded to member or non-members for distinguished and sustained leadership role in Pharmacology. Fellows and Honorary Fellows use the post-nominal FBPhS. Notable current honorary fellows include:

See also

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Sir John Robert Vane was a British pharmacologist who was instrumental in the understanding of how aspirin produces pain-relief and anti-inflammatory effects and his work led to new treatments for heart and blood vessel disease and introduction of ACE inhibitors. He was awarded the Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine in 1982 along with Sune Bergström and Bengt Samuelsson for "their discoveries concerning prostaglandins and related biologically active substances".

Clinical pharmacology is "that discipline that teaches, does research, frames policy, gives information and advice about the actions and proper uses of medicines in humans and implements that knowledge in clinical practice". Clinical pharmacology is inherently a translational discipline underpinned by the basic science of pharmacology, engaged in the experimental and observational study of the disposition and effects of drugs in humans, and committed to the translation of science into evidence-based therapeutics. It has a broad scope, from the discovery of new target molecules to the effects of drug usage in whole populations. The main aim of clinical pharmacology is to generate data for optimum use of drugs and the practice of 'evidence-based medicine'.

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<span class="mw-page-title-main">Fellowship of Postgraduate Medicine</span> British non-profit organisation

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David Anthony Brown, was Emeritus Professor of Pharmacology at University College London, having joined the department in April 1987 and served as Head of Department from October 1987 to April 2002.

Donald Robert James Singer was a British clinical pharmacologist who was the president of the Fellowship of Postgraduate Medicine.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Michael Rawlins</span> British clinical pharmacologist (1941–2023)

Sir Michael David Rawlins was a British clinical pharmacologist and emeritus professor at the University of Newcastle upon Tyne. During his medical career he chaired several executive agencies including the Committee on Safety of Medicines from 1993 to 1998, followed by the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE) for 14 years from its formation in 1999 and then the Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency (MHRA) for six years from 2014. From 2012 to 2014 he was president of the Royal Society of Medicine.

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References

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  2. Aronson, JK (2012). "What do clinical pharmacologists do? A questionnaire survey of senior UK clinical pharmacologists". British Journal of Clinical Pharmacology. 73 (2): 161–9 via PubMed.
  3. Bynum, W.F. (1981). An early history of the British Pharmacological Society. [Nottingham]: British Pharmacological Society. ISBN   978-0950887708.
  4. British Pharmacological Society. "About the BPS". British Pharmacological Society. Archived from the original on 2005-12-23. Retrieved 2006-02-12.
  5. British Pharmacological Society. "An Early History of the British Pharmacological Society" (PDF). British Pharmacological Society. Archived from the original (PDF) on 2014-03-12. Retrieved 2006-02-12.
  6. Green, AR (Mar 2006). "A brief history of British Pharmacological Society meetings". Trends in Pharmacological Sciences. 27 (3): 177–81. doi:10.1016/j.tips.2006.01.001. PMID   16458980.
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  10. British Pharmacological Society. "pA2 online". pA2 online. Retrieved 2006-02-12.
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  12. https://web.archive.org/web/20141006071742/http://www.bps.ac.uk/details/resourcesPage/4972481/Pharmacology-Hall-of-Fame.html?cat=bps13f9aa403f8
  13. https://www.bps.ac.uk/about/about-pharmacology/pharmacology-hall-of-fame/articles/bill-bowman
  14. https://www.bps.ac.uk/about/about-pharmacology/pharmacology-hall-of-fame/articles/sir-derrick-dunlop
  15. "Fellowship". British Pharmacological Society. Retrieved 18 September 2015.
  16. "Fellows". British Pharmacological Society. Retrieved 18 September 2015.
  17. Annual Review 2016. British Pharmacological Society. 2016.
  18. "Professor Sally Davies FRS FMedSci". BPS. Retrieved 9 December 2017.
  19. "Garret FitzGerald, MD, FRS, Awarded an Honorary Fellowship by British Pharmacological Society". www.newswise.com. Retrieved 2021-07-11.
  20. "Professor Raymond Hill". BPS. Archived from the original on 9 December 2017. Retrieved 9 December 2017.