PAGB Looks To The Future As It Celebrates 100-Year Anniversary

Maximizing opportunities from digital technology, addressing environmental concerns and 

Source: PAGB

“I’m optimistic about the future of self-care,” said PAGB president Neil Lister on the occasion of the association’s 100-year anniversary. “If we work together, we can support the cultural and behavioral change we need in our country to fully embed self-care in our everyday lives.”

At a gala event at London’s Science Museum to celebrate PAGB’s centenary, Lister told the assembled guests – drawn from manufacturers, regulators, industry groups, agencies and healthcare professionals – that collaboration would be key for the association to emulate the achievements of the past 100 years. “We can’t do this on our own,” he insisted. “We want to build on the partnership working that has been so important to us throughout our history.”

PAGB selected timeline

1919 – First meeting of Association of the Manufacturers of British Proprietaries

1926 – Name change to PAGB

1936 – Introduced world’s first ever self-regulatory advertising code

1948 – British Code of Standards of Advertising Relating to the Advertising of Medicines introduced based on PAGB code

1960 – Members voluntarily introduce ‘Keep out of reach of children’ label

1975 – Voluntary introduction of child resistant closures by members

1981-82 – Proposed amends to the Medicines (Prescription Only) Order 1980 to suggest criteria for prescription-to-OTC switches

1991 – Introduced advertising code for food supplements

2000 – NHS plan highlights self-care as the first level of care

2011 – Founded the Self-Care Forum in collaboration with the Department of Health

2019 – Celebrated a centenary of consumer healthcare

PAGB had “come a long way” since its founding in 1919 as the Association of the Manufacturers of British Proprietaries, Lister pointed out, embracing change and adopting new technologies. But there was “still a lot more to do,” he insisted.

“The industry has a big agenda,” Lister revealed, “including responding to the challenges of EU exit, maximizing the opportunities new digital technologies offer us, and addressing environmental concerns.” (Also see "AESGP Annual Meeting, Day 2: Grappling With Environmental Concerns, 'Nudging' Towards Self-Care Adoption, And Future Trends" - HBW Insight, 6 Jun, 2019.)

PAGB would continue to call for a national strategy for self-care, Lister noted, and to encourage government to implement policies which would “make it easier for people to take responsibility for their own health and well being.” (Also see "PAGB sets out self-care vision" - HBW Insight, 10 Aug, 2018.)

Pharmacy had a key role to play in this, he insisted, alongside other healthcare professionals.

“Most of all though,” Lister concluded, “as a responsible industry we want to continue to work closely with regulators to make sure people have access to effective products that they can use to self-care for themselves and their families.”

Lister thanked guests for supporting PAGB “then, now and for tomorrow.”

To mark its centenary, PAGB has put together a supplement detailing the association's 100 year history, which you can view and download here.