SIR Institute for Pharmacy Practice and Policy, founded in 1992, is strongly affiliated with the academic pharmacy Stevenshof in Leiden, the Netherlands. It is in this pharmacy where everything started in 1985: a pharmacy optimally performing in pharmaceutical care, but also enabling university members to use this pharmacy as a laboratory for pharmacy practice research and education. From the beginning the pharmacy and SIR have been working in close collaboration with the department of Pharmacoepidemiology and Pharmacotherapy of the University of Utrecht.

Nowadays, SIR has a strong involvement in pharmacy practice research in the Netherlands. Pharmacy practice research is needed in order to evaluate and to develop an evidence based pharmacy practice and pharmaceutical care. Ultimately, this has to result in a safer, more effective and more efficient use of drugs. SIR is co-operating with faculties of pharmacy in the Netherlands and other scientific institutes as well as with pharmacy practitioners. SIR can be considered as an intermediary between academia and practice. Well-known are the SIR Masterclass pharmacy practice research, PhD-projects, regional postgraduate courses (e.g. "Smart"), et cetera. Part of our research projects are sponsored by third parties of different origin, such as the Ministry of Health, the Health Inspectorate, the Scientific Institute of Dutch Pharmacists (WINAp), and pharmaceutical companies.

In addition, SIR is involved in supporting pharmacists in implementing and developing pharmaceutical care. Part of these projects are done in co-operation with organisations of health care providers, mostly pharmacists, or with other stakeholders, such as health insurance companies.

Relatively recently, SIR is operational in the field of health policy issues, concerning research projects as well as educational ones. In this respect, we like to refer to the very well-known European Regulatory Affairs (ERA) Course. Similar courses are under construction.

Finally, as can be seen on this website, there is abundance of other activities considered as innovative and supportive for the development of pharmacy practice, research and education and for a good and safe use of medicines. We like to mention consultative activities and the publication of several books for pharmacists' education and consumers.

Leiden, Mei 2008