Clinical pharmacology in research, teaching and health care

Abstract

Definition: Clinical pharmacology is the scientific discipline that involves all aspects of the relationship between drugs and humans. The term ‘clinical pharmacologist’ is also used in the professional sense to refer to those physicians who are specialists in clinical pharmacology. They have undertaken several years of postgraduate training in many aspects of the above relationship involving teaching, research and health care. Such clinical pharmacologists have as their primary goal that of improving patient care, directly or indirectly, by developing better medicines and promoting the safer and more effective use of drugs. Aims: This document aims to set the scene for clinical pharmacology in the early part of the 21st century following the concepts of an earlier report by the World Health Organization in 1970. This document is aimed primarily at decision-makers in a variety of organizations, particularly in governments and their healthcare ministries, in addition to chief executives and board level directors of primary and secondary care systems and directors in pharmaceutical companies. We hope they will realize the great benefits that expertise in clinical pharmacology can bring to the delivery of better healthcare for all populations