History
The Forties
The BPSA was formed in 1942 by delegates from eleven pharmacy schools across the UK, thanks to an initiative of the Student’s Union of the College of the Pharmaceutical Society (now University College London School of Pharmacy).
These students recognised the need for a national pharmacy student’s association, and it was initially called “the Pharmacy Faculty of the National Union of Students”. The Faculty held their first Conference in 1943 at the School of Pharmacy in Brunswick Square. At this Conference, it was decided that the faculty should be renamed to the British Pharmaceutical Students' Association and John Shinner, the President of the Student’s Union of the College of the Pharmaceutical Society, was elected as the first BPSA President.
The Association’s first policies were ‘To foster the furtherance of pharmacy as a scientific subject and secure adequate recognition.’ and ‘To coordinate the service of pharmacy with medicine and the social sciences in securing adequate health service.’, so really not a lot has changed!
The first meetings of the BPSA were held beneath the Square while the Secretary and Registrar of the Society, F.W Adams, was on air raid duty in the Second World War!
The BPSA was active in pharmacy politics and education from the beginning, with letters from the President campaigning for better and fairer training for students appearing in the Pharmaceutical Journal from 1943, and a focus for the second Conference, in Nottingham, being educational reforms and teaching methods. The Pharmaceutical Society recognised the BPSA as early as 1945, publishing the quote “the interest displayed by the students in their education is a healthy indication of the lines on which future education policy of the Society should proceed”.
1945 also saw the first BPSA competition, with the author of the best paper on the future of pharmaceutical training winning four pounds and four shillings. The first BPSA subcommittee was set up in 1945 as well, with the aim to; ‘Consider further the future of the qualifying examinations, with special reference to a) the teaching of pharmacognosy b) the status of bacteriology in the syllabus c) the introduction of therapeutics into the qualifying courses.’
In 1946, The National Union of Students, which still contained the pharmacy faculty, experienced post war financial difficulties. The Society gave a donation of £25 (a lot more in those days!) to maintain the survival of the Association in this period, and this ensured the good work could carry on to this day.
The International Pharmaceutical Students Federation (IPSF) was formed at the 1948 BPSA Annual Conference. The BPSA had made contact with national pharmacy student bodies in 19 different countries and international guest delegates met at the Conference, before agreeing to set up an international pharmacy student body – the IPSF was born! A year later, at the BPSA’s conference in Glasgow, James Box became the first IPSF President.
The Fifties
In 1950 the Association became independent from the National Union of Students, and adopted a new crest and the motto ‘Vincit Integritas’ (Roughly translating to ‘Integrity Wins’).
In 1951, the BPSA had 1500 delegates, Future Pharmacist was published each term and an international newsletter maintained contact with 34 student bodies around the world – there was even an Australian presence at the 1951 BPSA Annual Conference! In 1952, Miss Rhona Houston became the first female president of the BPSA.
A lot of the discussion at conferences in the 1950s was around methods of pharmacy education. At that point practicing was possible with either a diploma or a degree, and many students favoured the degree option as this enabled more variation in practice. This poem from the Pharmaceutical Journal in 1957 sums up the frustration at the time:
The Three Years’ Course-
Pharmacog still plays its part
Dispensing’s studied from the start
We know of some old C and Ds
Who thank the lord on bended knees
They didn’t have to work and cram
To pass the current stiff exam
It seems there really ought to be
A three year course for Ph. C
But what about the M.P.S
Who did the course in two years less?
The Society has clearly stated
That Ph.C they must be rated
It would be hard to work years three
Just to equal the C and D
We think this move has done much harm
Future students will take B. Pharm
The reason for this awful mess
Seems to be, we must confess
Because we’re dominated from the top
By men whose only talk is shop
The Sixties
The Association experienced a rocky start to the 1960s. During the Cardiff Annual Conference in 1960, and after an apathetic year of the BPSA, it was argued the Association should be disbanded and the NUS nominate a representative to look after the needs of pharmacy students. This was thankfully rejected in order to preserve the relationship with the Society and maintain the individuality of pharmacy students.
A hot topic of the 1961 conference in Leicester was regional representatives; after the newly elected Scotland Rep moved to Kent and resigned! Only one vote prevented the Welsh rep being from Sunderland too.
You have Cardiff Annual Conference in 1962 to thank for the delegate voting system (those at the 77th Annual Conference in Nottingham know how fun that is!), they brought in block voting which became the forerunner to the delegate voting system we now know and ‘love’!
The BPSA went from strength to strength in the next few years.
1963 saw the Association’s 21st Birthday in Glasgow, the first BPSA ski trip (to Aberdeenshire) and the BPSA hosting the IPSF Congress. This year’s President, Malcolm Hurrle, suggested finding sponsors to support a series of lectures that were ‘provocative in nature, radical and aimed at creating a greater interest in the background problems and future of the profession of pharmacy.’. This idea was the seed that grew into Area Conferences which now take place across the country each year.
The idea of Representatives meeting with the Executive was first implemented in 1964 and continues to this day in our annual Rep and Exec meetings. An annual rugby tournament was also started alongside an Association Football tournament, which would lead to the BPSA sports weekend in the coming years.
Regular meetings between the Association, the British Medical Students’ Association and the British Dental Students’ Association occurred in 1965 and over 50 years later, IPE is still something that our members are strongly in favour of. 1965 also saw arguably the most controversial motion in Association history; ‘This Association deplores the influx of women into pharmacy and suggest that it is in part responsible for the decline of pharmacy as a profession’. It was narrowly defeated by the ‘65 delegation, but shows how the profession, Association and the world has changed in just over 50 years!
1967 represented the first year in which all students were reading a pharmacy degree course following the abolition of the pre-graduate training route into the profession. The new model was for students to get experience after their studies, meaning they could put their knowledge into practice; what we now call pre-registration. This change meant that students were no longer required to register with the Society to continue their studies and, not wanting to lose contact with students, the Society accepted financial responsibility of the Association and recognised it as the official student body.
The Portsmouth conference in 1969 saw more debate about the content of the undergraduate degree. Students wanted more emphasis on applied pharmacology and cited irrelevant topics, such as liberal studies, as areas that could be removed.
It was also around this time that metric dispensing was being introduced to the UK. It was commented that the new 5ml spoons were ‘Revolting and indefensible’ as it looked to alike to a teaspoon (It’s nearly impossible to imagine a community pharmacy without a 5ml spoon now!).
The Seventies
The early 70s were mainly focused on the new post graduate training layout. A BPSA Working Party presented a survey at Birmingham in 1970, showing that the majority of students were against a pharmacy practice exam at the end of their training year. Calls were also made for the Society to produce a curriculum to govern the training year. The first BPSA reception was also held in this year.
The Edinburgh 1971 annual conference saw a talk entitled ‘Pharmacy in the next decade’ by J. Kerr a member of the society. He outlined his vision of the future, in which pharmacies would be fewer in number but more professional, patients would be registered at one pharmacy who had access to their medical records, and an increased emphasis would be placed on correct dosage and formulation owing to the ‘chemotherapeutic revolution’!
The idea of paid, sabbatical, Executive positions was also discussed, but ultimately shot down for being too expensive. The government’s new proposed cost related prescription charges, was deplored by the Association, with one Herriot-Watt student outlining that the changes were ‘an assault on the NHS’, and ‘made his blood boil!’
1972 saw the first ‘Area Coordinators’ elected, for the North, South, Midlands, Scotland and Wales respectively. Although they were almost called ‘Area Innovators’ instead! The ‘72 Cardiff conference also saw the presentation of a spurtle (short porridge stirring stick) to the chief stirrer at the conference. A tradition that is overdue a revival?
Despite 3 of the Area Coordinators having resigned, the 1973 conference in Bath still went ahead, and broached some controversial subjects. The Pharmacist’s role in contraception was mentioned for the first time, and whether or not to boycott the 1974 IPSF in South Africa due to apartheid was also dicussed. A report on the British degree was sent to the Federation in the spirit of international collaboration.
A survey in 1974 indicated that 80% of pharmacy students had applied to study medicine as their first choice, and in 1975, the Vice President raised concerns about student numbers and the lack of pre-registration places. He also lobbied the government for fairer pay for Pharmacists.
The 1976 conference in Herriot-Watt was again dominated by talk of pre-registration places. Students felt pressured by the lack of availability of places and the one week acceptance deadline on offers. The idea of a formalised pre-reg curriculum was again put forward and the first Sports Officer was elected.
1978 saw the idea of continued learning supported by the Association for the first time, and the inauguration of the Association as an official branch of the Society following a vote in the previous year. The Pharmaceutical Journal described this inauguration as an ‘auspicious and historic occasion’. The IPSF Congress was also hosted by the Association in Edinburgh.
A working party in 1979 was finally published on pre-registration however their were still many concerns about the final exam layout and content, and how tutors would be governed. The delegation also discussed extending the pharmacist’s role into prescribing and a 4 year degree. 1980 also gave delegates the opportunity to see the innovative computer prescribing system in place at the Queen Elizabeth II Hospital in Birmingham.
The Eighties
1981 presented some criticism; members were unhappy at the new ‘cheap’ registration certificate design and were also disgusted at the high numbers of cigarettes sold in pharmacies. The Association loudly condemned the Society’s decision to charge a full year’s registration fee from newly qualified pharmacists in August and January, citing administrative costs.
The 1982 Leicester conference passed a number of motions, including support for mandatory continued education to avoid apathy in the profession, stricter controls on herbal preparations and disagreement that pharmacists should check prescription exemptions. The delegation also voted to ask the University Grants Council to reconsider the recommendation of a 25% reduction in student intake to avoid teaching and funding cuts in pharmacy schools.
The students of Herriot-Watt were informed of the imminent closure of their school and this lead to an uprising, the likes of which the BPSA had never seen. 4000 flyers were distributed to raise awareness, by pharmacy students in lab coats and blacl armbands and Pharmacy students from all over the country marched, with a police escort, from Society headquarters to the houses of parliament.
The 1984 attendees discussed that the ‘current academic course does not prepare the graduate for the growing advisory nature of the pharmacist’ and that certain subjects such as ‘in depth chemical analysis is a waste of time!’ They also went against the grain in disapproving of original pack dispensing as opposed to stock pots, citing an increase in waste and a lack of room in dispensaries. One other notable motion narrowly defeated was to ‘Declare the male pharmacy student and endangered species!’.
The Association decided to not affiliate with the NUS in 1985, despite suggestions this might give more lobbying in power in situations such as that affecting Herriot-Watt. On a more positive note, a number of ex-BPSA members decided to form a group for young and recently qualified pharmacists which we now know as the Young Pharmacists’ Group (YPG).
The idea of a pre-registration exam was once again defeated at the 1986 conference, but the delegation did approve of at least a month in a different sector of the profession during their training. The then treasurer, Andrew Stanley, decided to implement a ‘six year plan’ which introduced centralised funding so each sponsor could donate one sum of money each year, and a one off membership fee at the start of the degree. The increased funding boost allowed for more events, new ideas, and the reintroduction of the BPSA ski trip (joint with YPG). This grew incredibly rapidly to a turnover of £40000!
Nottingham Conference in 1988 saw the first patient counselling competition, and the chance to meet the real life sheriff of Nottingham! While Portsmouth in 1989 allowed members to voice opposition of student loans. At this point the Association was holding the largest event, for students studying the same subject, in Europe in the form of its annual sports weekend. Over 1000 students, from Portsmouth to Aberdeen were taking part in this every year!
The Nineties
1990 saw the donation of the Presidential Chain of Office courtesy of APS and their then Public Relations Manager Joyce Kearney who is now an HLM. Joyce and her Husband David have given the Association many years of incredible support, and the David Kearney award is now given in his memory to members who have given an outstanding contribution to the profession and/or Association. The Manchester conference in 1990 raised over £1200 for a cancer research charity, after a pestle and mortar signed by all the Society’s Council members was auctioned.
The Association celebrated its 50th birthday in 1992, and broke with tradition to hold Annual Conference in York, a city without a pharmacy school. This was organised by a number of HLMs and included an extra day’s celebration consisting of special debates, a ‘50 years of BPSA’ exhibition and the anniversary ball.
The Reckitt and Colman (now Reckitt Benckiser) Student of the Year award was introduced with a prize of a £750 scholarship to pursue a project in Europe. Though the format has changed, the prize of a trip to an international conference remains, and many entries are still received each year.
1992 wasn’t all celebrations however, as the Society decided to introduce a £100 fee to sit the new pre-registration assessment, much to the disgust of the Association. The BPSA had been given no warning of this change, and felt that students were being taken advantage of. Disapproving student letters appeared in the Pharmaceutical Journal and explanations of administrative and organisational costs incurred by the Society by its Head of Education did little to convince students.
The topic of a four year degree was discussed at a special conference debate and the delegates were mostly in favour, also believing that experience in all three pharmacy branches would be achievable and beneficial in the course.
THE NOUGHTIES AND TWENTY-TENS
The year 2005 saw the start of a Professional Development Scheme, then called the PDC, for all BPSA members. This was re-launched in 2009, and in recent years it has been refined and expanded and is becoming nationally recognised as a method of extra-curricular development for pharmacy students.
Since 2011, the BPSA has been working with the Modernising Pharmacy Careers Programme Board to help develop the MPharm programme and look at integration of the pre-registration training year into the degree. The topic of student numbers has also come round again, with the BPSA recently publishing a paper on the subject which gained national recognition. Finally, after a problematic 2011 registration exam , the BPSA was key in suggesting improvements of the exam for later years which appear to be working.
The BPSA has been successfully representing, educating and entertaining pharmacy students for the last 80 years – here’s to at least the next 80!