An international postgraduate course in pharmaceutical medicine: a 25-year review

Summary

In 1975, a Joint Advisory Committee (JAC) on Pharmaceutical Medicine was formed to establish a structured training programme in pharmaceutical medicine for medically qualified personnel employed in the pharmaceutical industry. This initiative paralleled the creation of a Diploma examination in the discipline. In 1978, the JAC sought an academic partner and the day-to-day running was handed over to the Welsh School of Pharmacy, University of Wales, Cardiff. Later the JAC was disbanded, and the course was jointly organized by the University of Wales and the British Association of Pharmaceutical Physicians (BrAPP). It is the leading course of its type in the world and attracts trainees from many countries. It is a 2-year, part-time residential course that is specifically designed for new entrants to the pharmaceutical industry. It provides the opportunity to obtain a professional qualification in pharmaceutical medicine, such as the Diploma in Pharmaceutical Medicine from the UK Royal Colleges of Physicians and to receive a thorough training in all aspects of this specialty.