Editors' view Clinical Pharmacology: Past, Present, and Future

摘要

This year we celebrate the 75th anniversary of the British Pharmacological Society, which was established in Oxford in 1931 . Our sister journal, the British Journal of Pharmacology, contributed to the celebrations earlier this year by publishing a special issue . Here the British Journal of Clinical Pharmacology adds its own voice. This special issue begins with a personal view, from Professor Sir Colin Dollery, of the history of clinical pharmacology over the last 75 years , to which he has contributed so much. But his view is not merely backward looking. In a section entitled 'Present concerns, future hopes' he points to current problems and suggests ways forward. He starts by outlining a fundamental problem - defining the role of clinical pharmacology. He suggests that it is not simply a laboratory discipline dealing with biomarkers, pharmacokinetics, drug metabolism, and genetics based on human samples; not simply a desk discipline dealing with design and evaluation of clinical trials, drug utilization on a local and national level, clinical guidelines for drug use, and pharmacovigilance; and not simply a hands-on clinical discipline dealing with patient care, experimental medicine studies of old and new drugs, clinical investigation of adverse reactions and interactions, and consultancy services to other clinicians who have drug problems. It combines all of these. #