Workshop report: Clinical pharmacology teaching, training and career development

Abstract

This report summarizes the teaching of clinical pharmacology to medical students and housestaff, the postdoctoral training and career development of clinical pharmacologists, and the role of clinical pharmacology in the postgraduate education of practicing physicians as discussed in this workshop. The report is organized by section, with each section discussing first the current status in the United Kingdom and the United States including accomplishments and problems, and second the recommendations for the future. UNDERGRADUATE EDUCATION IN CLINICAL PHARMACOLOGYCurrent status United Kingdom. A survey of the current status of the teaching of clinical pharmacology in U. K. medical schools has been completed and will be published elsewhere. Preliminary data were obtained from 21 of the 30 schools in the United Kingdom. In 18 of the 21 schools reporting, clinical pharmacology was taught separately from pharmacology. Student contact hours in pharmacology (X = 98 hours) were considerably greater than in clinical pharmacology (X = 64 hours).There was a marked variation in the number of staff members who taught clinical pharmacology in the 21 medical schools, with a range of 1.5 to 20 (X = 6.3). Most of the teachers were salaried by the U. K. government through the University Grants Committee contribution to the universities. A smaller number was funded through the National Health Service (NHS) or from outside grants. Clinical pharmacology itself was most commonly taught in the third year of the undergraduate curriculum (in 16 of the 21 schools), but in 14 of the 21 it was also taught in years 4 and 5. Fifteen of the 21 schools had a separate examination in clinical pharmacology, usually held either at the end of the third or fifth years of the medical course. This fact indicates an appropriate attention to clinical pharmacology in these schools.

Postgraduate education in clinical pharmacology and therapeutics

“…There is no doubt that specialists in CPT are well suited to assume the educative role, which has been one of their raisons d’être since clinical pharmacology was first established as a discipline [62–65]. An international workshop in 1986 recommended that vocational training programmes for general practitioners should include an obligatory quota of instruction in clinical pharmacology; and that inclusion of clinical pharmacology in the programme for established practitioners should be stressed to Deans of Postgraduate Education programmes and other authorities in training [66]. Furthermore, since these recommendations were made, clinical pharmacologists in the UK and throughout Europe have repeatedly been encouraged to become more involved in promoting rational prescribing in primary care [67–69].…”

Postgraduate education in clinical pharmacology and therapeutics

“…In secondary care, the pattern is similar: widespread and other authorities in training [66]. Furthermore, since these recommendations were made, clinical pharmacologists evidence of activity but little meaningful evaluation.…”