National Pharmacy Association centenary year begins

05 Jan 2021

The National Pharmacy Association is 100 years old this year. To mark the centenary, the NPA plans a series of activities throughout the year, including special recognition for some of its longest serving members.

The NPA began life as the Retail Pharmacists Union in 1921 and has since grown to become the leading voice of independent community pharmacy across the UK.

NPA chair, Andrew Lane, said:

“The NPA has been at the heart of community pharmacy for a hundred years and our members have touched the lives of millions of people over that time.  It’s a privilege to be so embedded in the community pharmacy story – a story about which we can all be very proud.

“Over these 100 years, the NPA has brought community pharmacists together, to pool resources, to learn from each other and to deliver fantastic patient services at scale.  We’ve also stood together at times of adversity and challenge, as right now.

“As well as commemorating the past, we also want to use this centenary year as a springboard to the future.  Community pharmacy must constantly evolve to meet the ever-changing needs of the population and the NPA will be with our members on that change journey.”

Amongst the activities planned are:

  • Celebrating the NPA’s longest-standing members
  • Consultations with members about the future of independent community pharmacy
  • Renewed efforts to recruit the next generation of pharmacists (in partnership with other pharmacy bodies) and engage pharmacy students
  • Charity fundraising based on the ‘100’ theme
  • An official written history of the NPA’s first 100 years
  • Member events in all four countries of the UK.

Visit our dedicated page here.

NPA members who would like to share the history of their own pharmacy, as part of the NPA’s centenary celebrations are invited to contact press@npa.co.uk