Exhibit 99 (a)







                CERTIFICATION PURSUANT TO 18 U.S.C. SECTION 1350
                      AS ADOPTED PURSUANT TO SECTION 906 OF
                         THE SARBANES-OXLEY ACT OF 2002



     In connection with the Annual Report of West Pharmaceutical  Services, Inc.
(the  "Company") on Form 10-K for the period ending December 31, 2002 filed with
the Securities  and Exchange  Commission on the date hereof (the  "Report"),  I,
Donald E. Morel, Jr., Chairman, President and Chief Executive Officer
of the Company, certify, pursuant to 18 U.S.C. Section 1350, as adopted pursuant
to Section 906 of the Sarbanes-Oxley Act of 2002, that:

(1)  The Report fully complies with the requirements of Section 13(a) or 15(d)
     of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934; and

(2)  The information contained in the Report fairly presents, in all material
     respects, the financial position and results of operations of the Company.




 /s/ Donald E. Morel, Jr., Ph.D.
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Donald E. Morel, Jr., Ph.D.
Chairman of the Board, President and Chief Executive Officer


March 26, 2003