The British National Formulary (BNF) is a United Kingdom (UK) pharmaceutical reference book that contains a wide spectrum of information and advice on prescribing and pharmacology, along with specific facts and details about many medicines available on the UK National Health Service (NHS). Information within the BNF includes indication(s), contraindications, side effects, doses, legal classification, names and prices of available proprietary and generic formulations, and any other notable points. Though it is a national formulary, it nevertheless also includes entries for some medicines which are not available under the NHS, and must be prescribed and/or purchased privately. A symbol clearly denotes such drugs in their entry.
A pharmacist, also known as a chemist in Commonwealth English, is a healthcare professional who specializes in the preparation, dispensing, and management of medications. A pharmacist provides pharmaceutical advice and guidance, often serving as a primary care provider in the community, and offering other services, such as health screenings and immunizations.
The Royal Pharmaceutical Society of Great Britain (RPSGB) existed from its founding as the Pharmaceutical Society of Great Britain in 1841 until 2010. The word "Royal" was added to its name in 1988. It was the statutory regulatory and professional body for pharmacists and pharmacy technicians in England, Scotland and Wales. In September 2010, the regulatory powers of the Society were transferred to the newly formed General Pharmaceutical Council (GPhC). The RPSGB became the Royal Pharmaceutical Society (RPS) at that time and retained its professional leadership role; the "Great Britain" part of the name was dropped for day-to-day purposes.
The Pharmaceutical Society of Australia (PSA) is a professional organisation of Australian pharmacists. PSA is the peak national body for pharmacists, representing the pharmacy profession and the 37,000 pharmacists in Australia, with approximately 18,000 members. PSA is the major provider of continuing professional development programmes for pharmacists in Australia. PSA also organises various pharmacy events including a national conference attended by over 1,200 delegates from around Australia and internationally. PSA publishes the Australian Pharmaceutical Formulary, the Australian Pharmacist journal, and various other pharmacy publications.
BNF for Children (BNFC) is the standard UK paediatric reference for prescribing and pharmacology.
The Master of Pharmacy is a postgraduate degree in pharmacy, awarded upon the completion of postgraduate coursework or an integrated undergraduate-postgraduate curriculum. Typically, this program lasts for four to five years.
The Pharmaceutical Society of New Zealand Incorporated is the professional body for New Zealand pharmacists.
The General Pharmaceutical Council (GPhC) 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. It was created, along with the Royal Pharmaceutical Society, in September 2010 when the previous body responsible for regulation, the Royal Pharmaceutical Society of Great Britain, was split so that representative and regulatory functions of the pharmacy profession could be separated.
Raj Kumar Aggarwal is a Welsh-Indian pharmacist, public health expert, businessman and the first ever Honorary Consul for India with jurisdiction for Wales. In this role, he is responsible for helping to further links between Welsh and Indian business, educational establishments and cultural organisations, as well as looking after the needs of Indian nationals living and working in Wales. In March 2015, he was appointed president of the Consular Association of Wales.
Jean Kennedy Irvine was a pharmacist from Hawick, Scotland and the first woman president of the Royal Pharmaceutical Society of Great Britain.
Pharmacy in the United Kingdom has been an integral part of the National Health Service since it was established in 1948. Unlike the rest of the NHS, pharmacies are largely privately provided apart from those in hospitals, and even these are now often privately run.
Nadia Bukhari is a British pharmacist of Pakistani origin living in London, United Kingdom. In 2018, she was awarded the status of Fellow of the Royal Pharmaceutical Society (RPS) making her the youngest female fellow under the Royal Pharmaceutical Society of Great Britain; an honor bestowed to those who have achieved excellence and distinction in their pharmacy career. In addition, she is the first Muslim female and British Pakistani to be a board member of the National Association of Boards of Pharmacy for England, UK. Since 2003, she has been serving in academia at University College London (UCL). She wrote and published many articles on the pharmacy and leadership field at Pharmaceutical Press and BMC Series. In Pakistan, she received the honor to launch the National Alliance for Women in Pharmacy (NAWP) under the Pakistan Pharmacists Association (PPA). She is the global lead at the International Pharmaceutical Federation (FIP) to promote gender equity in the pharmaceutical industry. Also, she has been serving as a trustee and an ambassador for the Pakistan Alliance for Girls Education (PAGE); a charity program supported by the Government of Pakistan. She is also an executive committee member at Indus Health Network UK. In 2021, she launched Equity Pakistan, and is the UK director of the initiative; a gender equity hub for the pharmaceutical workforce in Pakistan; a collaborated initiative taken by Hamdard University Islamabad Campus and University College London (UCL). She was the chief pharmacist at doctHERs; a telemedicine company in Pakistan enabling home-based healthcare females to work in the pharmaceutical industry and connect with low-income patients across Pakistan. Following her departure from doctHERs, Nadia has co-founded ‘Siha Health & Wellness’ and is the Chief Operating Officer. Siha provides one-stop health and wellness solutions for the corporate sector in Pakistan.
Margaret Elizabeth Buchanan was a British pharmacist and pioneer of women in pharmacy.
Frances Elizabeth Deacon (1837–1930) was an English chemist and druggist who was the first woman to qualify after the 1868 Pharmacy Act, which made registration with the Pharmaceutical Society of Great Britain (PSGB) compulsory in order to work as a pharmacist.
The British Pharmaceutical Students' Association is the official student organisation of the Royal Pharmaceutical Society of Great Britain. Founded in 1942, the Association represents pharmacy students and pre-registration trainees in the United Kingdom. The Royal Pharmaceutical Society has supported it since its foundation, and marked its 80th anniversary by organising a rebranding.
Isabella Skinner Clarke–Keer was a British pharmacist and pioneer of women in pharmacy. In 1875, she became the first woman to qualify as a Pharmaceutical Chemist, and was one of the first two women members of the Pharmaceutical Society of Great Britain, admitted in 1879. In 1905, she became the first President of the National Association of Women Pharmacists.
Elsie Higgon was the first Joint Secretary of the (National) Association of Women Pharmacists; researcher for King's College, the British Medical Journal and the British Pharmaceutical Codex; Lecturer in Chemistry at Portsmouth Municipal College; proprietor pharmacist of two businesses in Hampstead, proprietor of the Gordon Hall School of Pharmacy for Women in Gordon Square, and a supporter of the suffrage movement.
Soraya Dhillon MBE holds the title professor emeritus at the University of Hertfordshire known for her work in the field of clinical pharmacokinetics, drug handling, patient safety, and the evaluation of the role of the pharmacist in health care. She is a fellow of the Royal Pharmaceutical Society.
Thorrun Govind is a British pharmacist and solicitor. In 2021 she was elected chair of the Royal Pharmaceutical Society in England, the professional body for pharmacists.
