The Clinical Pharmacology and Therapeutics (CPT) curriculum is broad in scope. It is designed to attract high-quality trainees to the discipline, by providing the flexibility that doctors with different sub-specialty interests need to progress through training.
Notably, training in clinical pharmacology provides time for critical appraisal, analysis and academic development, which is not always available in other specialties. The curriculum is divided into two elements: the core curriculum and advanced training modules .
Core curriculum
By the end of training, all trainees are expected to be able to:
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Prescribe rationally for individual patients
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Critically evaluate literature and understand statistical techniques
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Collaborate on policies for rational, safe, cost-effective prescribing
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Understand and work within the current drug regulatory framework
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Advise on the management of patients presenting with toxicology issues
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Understand and influence what determines the pattern of use of medicines in populations
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Anticipate, detect, manage, report and analyse adverse drug reactions (ADRs) and prescribing errors
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Understand mechanisms of drug action to extrapolate likely effects of new drugs and to devise appropriate dosing
Advanced training
Trainees are also expected to undertake in-depth training in at least one advanced training module. The four advanced area topics are: hypertension, toxicology, clinical trials, and research.
For the full specialty training curriculum visit the Joint Royal Colleges of Physicians Training Board website.
Academic CPT training
An academic clinical fellowship (ACF) can also provide training in CPT. ACF entry can be undertaken during Stage 1 IMT and provides training alongside designated research blocks, enabling trainees to develop early research interests and generate pilot data for grant or fellowship applications.
The ACF scheme can provide run-through training in CMT/CPT, combining job security with the opportunity to research a topic of interest in depth, through a funded PhD. After returning to the programme, trainees continue their clinical specialty training, usually as a clinical lecturer employed by the university, with their time split between academic and clinical work.
Find out more about more about choosing a PhD.
Find out more about postgraduate and early career opportunities and support.
Find out about sources of funding for Clinical Pharmacology research.