Portsmouth to host major pharmacy conference

The University of Portsmouth is hosting the British Pharmaceutical Students' Association (BPSA) Annual Conference, a key event in the world of pharmacy next week.

The BPSA is the official student organisation of the Royal Pharmaceutical Society (RPS), providing opportunities to, advocating for, and amplifying the voices of pharmacy students across the UK.

Hosted by a different School of Pharmacy each year, the flagship event will run from 10-16 April and aims to bring pharmacy students together from across the country, while inviting discussion on crucial topics with keynote speakers from multiple industries.

The theme for this year's conference is 'The Wider World of Pharmacy'. The keynote speakers are:

• Col. Ellie Williams, retired military pharmacist talking about working for the military.
• Angela Kam, clinical strategies pharmacist talking about her work in the NHS and writing for the Pharmaceutical Journal.
• Mark Koziol, Pharmacists' Defence Association (PDA) Chairman talking about his work in the PDA.
• Martha Harris from Pharmacist Support talking about all the work they do for pharmacists.
• Shikha Rishi, aesthetician pharmacist and small business owner, talking about her career journey.
• Parastou Donyai, RPS Chief Scientist, talking about the importance of pharmacists in clinical research.
• Professor Paul Rutter from the University of Portsmouth, talking about pharmacy and academia.

Kieran O'Brien, fourth year MPharm student at the University of Portsmouth and conference organiser, said: "The conference itself is the only one of its kind in the UK, inviting discussion on key issues in the pharmacy world and giving students the opportunity to network with other students and industry professionals who aim to inspire the next generation of pharmacists."

Find out more about BPSA and the conference.