Pharmaceutical Medicine is the medical specialty that encompasses the discovery, development, evaluation and licensing of medicines together with their appropriate marketing and ongoing monitoring of their safety in clinical practice (lifecycle management of medicines).
Medical practitioners who work as pharmaceutical physicians undertake these activities in many different areas within the healthcare system and allied services including clinical trial units, academic departments, contract research organisations, national agencies, such as the Heath Products Regulatory Authority (formally the Irish Medicines Board), NSAI or National Medicines Information Centre in Ireland as well as the pharmaceutical industry.
Although the majority of pharmaceutical physicians (with the possible exception of those undertaking clinical trials) have no direct contact with patients, they are required to be fully registered with the Medical Council of Ireland in order to fulfil their duties. Pharmaceutical physicians are involved in activities on a daily basis (for example, evaluating ongoing safety with medicines in practice and promoting evidence-based prescribing) to reduce medication errors, maximise patient benefit and minimise harm with use of medicines.
Pharmaceutical physicians interact with other healthcare professionals on a regular basis - on medical information enquiries, in clinical trial activities, in preparing educational materials, including journal articles, textbooks, reference books, formularies, pharmacoeconomic assessments and e-learning materials – all of which encourage rational use of medicines in the interest of patient safety.
Pharmaceutical physicians from either the pharmaceutical industry or national agencies may also be called upon by the media to give guidance on drug-related events of public interest.
This training programme will provide the knowledge and competence for a doctor to be trained in all aspects of drug development, the regulation and safe use of medicines, and with good communication skills who will be able to assist healthcare professionals, as well as pharmacoeconomic and regulatory competent authorities in the rational use of medicines, in the interest of public health.
Applicants for Higher Specialist Training (HST) in Pharmaceutical Medicine must have a certificate of completion Basic Specialist Training (BST) in General Internal Medicine and obtained the MRCPI. Other entrants with appropriate higher examinations (including MICGP, MRCSI) may be considered. All applicants must be employed in a position that is within a national regulatory agency such as the Health Products Regulatory Authority (HPRA) or a Pharmaceutical Company e.g. Pfizer. The applicant’s employment location must be listed as an approved training site for Pharmaceutical Medicine. Applicants to the training programme must be supported by their employer organisation and will be required tosupply evidence of this at application stage.
Training in pharmaceutical medicine is completed in two stages:
- Basic Specialist Training in General Internal Medicine (or an equivalent programme) - Two years
- Higher Specialist Training in Pharmaceutical Medicine - Four years
Download Pharmaceutical Medicine HST curriculum 2021 (PDF, 831KB)
Download Pharmaceutical Medicine HST curriculum 2023/2024 (PDF, 832KB)
(Use this curriculum if you are in Year 1 of HST in 2023/2024)
Access mandatory courses for this specialty