The Society welcomes the Migration Advisory Committee’s review of the Shortage Occupation List, which was published today.
When the review was first announced, we responded as part of the Clinical Pharmacology Skills Alliance, with our partners the Association of the British Pharmaceutical Industry (ABPI), the Faculty of Pharmaceutical Medicine (FPM) and Health Education England (HEE). The Alliance highlighted critical clinical pharmacology skills gaps in the UK and recommended that these roles be added to the Shortage Occupation List (SOL).
Our response called for medical and scientist clinical pharmacology roles to be represented on the SOL. We supported our call with evidence of national shortages in the specialty and how facilitating recruitment from overseas would help address this. We cited the most recent ABPI skills survey, which indicated that clinical pharmacology remains a top priority.
You can read our response in full here.
After the MAC's report was published Dr Anna Zecharia, Director of Policy and Public Affairs at the British Pharmacological Society, said:
We are pleased to see that the Committee recognises clinical pharmacology skills gaps in today’s report. Clinical pharmacology scientists and doctors will help support an effective and comprehensive clinical service in the NHS, the UK as an attractive place to conduct national and international clinical research, and the development of new medicines – but the UK urgently needs more of them.
The Alliance is working hard to improve visibility of clinical pharmacology careers and to support training and employment in partnership with the sector. Adding these roles to the Shortage Occupation List, as recommended by the review, would be a welcome move.
