Royal College of Physicians recruitment to core medical training 2011

Clinical pharmacology and therapeutics (CPT)

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Clinical pharmacology & therapeutics (CPT) is an exciting and tremendously varied specialty; the core role of a clinical pharmacologist is to improve the care of patients through safe and effective use of medicines.

This wide remit combines clinical practice with development and implementation of new therapies, training and teaching of current and future prescribers, and promotion of evidence-based therapeutics through local and national policy. In most centres, training in general internal medicine (GIM) will be offered alongside that in CPT, leading to a dual CCT in CPT & GIM.

CPT - trainee characteristics

CPT has a broad remit and so will appeal to trainees with a wide range of interests and skills. It will particularly suit trainees who are:

  • self-directed
  • innovative
  • seeking variety
  • keen to work with a measure of independence.

Plus, training in clinical pharmacology provides time for critical appraisal, analysis and academic development, which is not always available in other specialties.

Summary of the specialty

It is currently an excellent time to consider CPT as a career. In the current financial climate, clinical pharmacologists are key to increasing NHS efficiency through promoting rational, cost-effective use of medicines; they are pivotal to maintenance of translational research skills and investment of pharmaceutical companies in clinical research in the UK; and they have a key role in improving prescribing skills and supporting the advent of the imminent new national prescribing assessment for undergraduates.

The work programme of a consultant in CPT varies greatly depending on the employer and the primary work setting. Some brief information on these areas is given below:

Academic

Academic clinical pharmacologists are usually employed by a university on a clinical academic contract with time divided between academic work and clinical practice, eg as a 50-50 split. The academic career path after CCT is senior lecturer, reader, then professor.

Academic work includes research and teaching according to individual and departmental interests. Alongside the substantive university contract, academics in CPT usually have an honorary consultant contract with an associated NHS trust.

Their clinical practice includes general medicine with or without a sub-specialty interest, such as cardiovascular risk management, toxicology, airways disease, epilepsy or gastroenterology. They often have a role in medicines management as described for NHS consultants.

NHS

NHS consultants in CPT deliver a clinical service in general (GIM) and acute medicine; and often combine CPT with paediatrics or general practice. The workload for CPT consultants with GIM accreditation includes acute medical intaking, ongoing care of medical inpatients and running outpatient clinics. Many CPT consultants have a sub-specialty interest, eg cardiovascular risk management, toxicology, airways disease, epilepsy or gastroenterology.

Clinical pharmacologists practise the specialty of CPT in the NHS through local contribution to medicines management. Some CPT consultants may also lead provision of a 'medicines information service' to local prescribers, usually with the support of a clinical pharmacist.

Many NHS CPT consultants will also have a strong research emphasis to their work, that will contribute to knowledge about drug actions and their clinical usage and play an important role in the planning and delivery of undergraduate teaching in therapeutics.

Pharmaceutical industry

Some clinical pharmacologists at consultant level are employed within the pharmaceutical industry, and are involved in the development of new drugs and clinical trials in patients. Some of these hold joint appointments with academic units or trusts - a trend that may grow in the future.

The pharmaceutical industry, as well as drug regulatory bodies, has a particular interest in recruiting trained clinical pharmacologists.

Medicines policy and drug regulation

At a national level, CPT consultants frequently occupy senior positions within bodies involved in drug regulation. Some of these are full time posts and other positions are held in addition to academic or NHS posts. These include:

In addition to this, the National Poisons Information Service is run almost exclusively by NHS clinical pharmacologists.

Applying to ST3 CPT

All applications to ST3 CPT posts in 2012 will be handled via the national application model.

CPT applicants will need only complete one single application form, and submit this to the Mersey Deanery - the deanery who will be managing the CPT recruitment process in 2012.

Applicants to CPT will be asked to give deanery/UoA preferences at a later stage of the process (most likely at interview). Candidates will be able to be considered for as many or as few of the available CPT vacancies as they wish, across all deaneries where vacancies are available.

For more information on the national application model, please visit the recruitment models section of this site.

Further information


Copyright Royal College of Physicians of London 2012