The Royal Pharmaceutical Society has received a letter of congratulations from its patron, Her Majesty the Queen, as it celebrates its 180th anniversary.
In the letter dated April 15, Queen Elizabeth thanked all those who serve the Society as well as its members “for their dedication to their patients and for their vital contribution to the health of the nation during the coronavirus pandemic.”
“I congratulate the members of the Royal Pharmaceutical Society on the occasion of its 180th anniversary,” Queen Elizabeth wrote, as she wished the RPS every success and praised the Society for the development of pharmacy.
The Queen also praised the profession: “Huge progress has been made (since the Society was formed in 1841) and pharmacists now work alongside other healthcare professionals, advising them on the use of medicines to ensure the highest standards of patient care as well as prescribing and dispensing medicines to patients.”
The RPS received the letter from the Queen before the passing of the Duke of Edinburgh on April 9. The Society deferred its celebrations on the founding date of April 15 out of respect.
RPS president Sandra Gidley said: “I’m particularly pleased that Her Majesty has commended the role pharmacists have played during the pandemic.
“We are very proud of our rich heritage and will take the best of this forward into the future, striving at all times to put pharmacy at the forefront of healthcare.”
