PMST General Information

The Pharmaceutical Medicine Specialty Training (PMST) programme (applicable to trainees issued with NTNs from 1st August 2007 onwards)

Specialty training in pharmaceutical medicine (PMST) may begin after gaining a post in pharmaceutical medicine and after completion of the Foundation Programme (F1 and F2) and two years of post-Foundation clinical training in any medical specialty, for example Core Medical Training (CMT) of the Royal Colleges of Physicians, or its equivalent in other medical specialties. The nature of the clinical training prior to specialty training in pharmaceutical medicine must include experience of acute and continuing clinical management and care, and wide experience of prescribing and monitoring the effects of medicines. The specialties in which this experience is gained are not critical and pharmaceutical physicians come from a wide variety of medical and surgical disciplines.

The programme of PMST consists of the specialty knowledge base, leading to the Diploma in Pharmaceutical Medicine by examination, which must be passed prior to the award of a CCT, and practical competency-based training in an individualised (ad personam) programme centred on an approved workplace training environment.

Practical PMST comprises a modular programme in six fields of practice in pharmaceutical medicine that accompanies and / or follows acquisition of the specialty knowledge base. The six operational modules are Medicines Regulation, Clinical Pharmacology, Statistics and Data Management, Clinical Development, Healthcare Marketplace and Drug Safety Surveillance. A seventh, generic, module in pharmaceutical medicine continues from the Generic Module for the Medical Specialties delivered during clinical training with its emphasis on individual patient care within the NHS. The generic module in pharmaceutical medicine encompasses the principles of Good Pharmaceutical Medical Practice and Interpersonal and Management Skills relevant to the ethical and professional work of a pharmaceutical physician practising outside the NHS.

Successful completion of the training programme leads to a Certificate of Completion of Training (CCT), the holder of which is eligible to apply for entry to the Specialist Register of the General Medical Council (GMC) in the UK. Please refer to the full curriculum for further information.

Doctors with non-EU clinical training are not eligible for entry to a UK CCT programme, including PMST. Those doctors may undertake PMST training, but on completion, they will not receive a CCT, and their entry to the GMC's Specialist Register will be determined by fulfilling the requirements of Article 14 of The General and Specialist Medical Practice (Education, Training and Qualifications) Order 2003. If successful, a Certificate confirming Eligibility for Specialist Registration (CESR) will be awarded.

The responsible entities
The Faculty is responsible, through the Joint Royal Colleges of Physicians' Training Board (JRCPTB), to the Postgraduate Medical Education and Training Board (PMETB), which is the UK designated competent authority for specialist training. The Lead Postgraduate Dean is responsible for issuing training numbers to successful enrolees and for the annual review of trainee progress. The JRCPTB oversees the training programme and is the agent through which the Faculty will make recommendations on programmes and trainees to the PMETB. On the recommendation of the JRCPTB the PMETB awards the CCT, which allows the doctor's name to be added to the Specialist Register of the GMC.

Individual guidance and assistance
Specialist trainees are assisted through their training programmes by an Educational Supervisor, who will normally be at the trainee's place of work and who may differ for parts of the programme to ensure appropriate expertise in all areas of the curriculum. Each specialist trainee will also be assigned a Senior Specialty Adviser (SSA), who is integral to the design of the personalised training programme with the specialist trainee and Educational Supervisor, provides quality assurance to the training programme, and monitors progress through the review process. The SSA is responsible to the Lead Postgraduate Dean. In addition, the SSA serves to advise and assist the specialist trainee in the event of changes to or difficulties in achieving the training programme.

Entry requirements
Please see the Person Specification for entry and selection criteria for PMST.

Medical graduates who qualified before 2005
The entry and selection criteria detailed in the Person Specification above apply to all applicants to PMST but for medical graduates who qualified before 2005 the clinical training requirement will be as follows:

Doctors who qualified before 2005 and received provisional registration with the General Medical Council before 1st August 2005 will need to demonstrate successful completion of the following clinical training requirements or demonstrate equivalence to them before entry to Pharmaceutical Medicine Specialty Training (PMST):

- One (1) year as Pre-Registration House Officer (PRHO)

-Two (2) years post-registration experience of General Professional Training in approved training posts at Senior House Officer (SHO) level, which would normally involve direct patient care and experience of prescribing and monitoring the effects of drugs. Approved training in a range of specailties is highly recommended but is not required.

Fees for PMST
  • Enrolment fee payable to JRCPTB: £625 one-off payment for full programme
  • Faculty membership fee payable to Faculty: view current subscription fees
  • PMST administration and assessment fees payable to Faculty

The annual fee payable to the Faculty by participants undertaking PMST will be £800 (as of January 2008). The fee for subsequent years will fall on the anniversary of the training start date. This is the date from which the National Training Number (NTN) is effective and the date from which training may be accredited towards the CCT/CESR. Regular invoices will be sent to participants on the anniversary of their training start date. Please note that all fees paid are non-refundable.

Trainees who are out of programme for more than 3 months due to parental leave may be eligible for a reduction in FPM HMT/PMST fees subject to formal agreement of the time out of programme by the Postgraduate Dean. Please note that your CCT date may also need to be amended. Trainees in this situation should write to the Postgraduate Dean, care of the Faculty office, prior to the time out of programme. The letter should indicate the anticipated time out of programme and if possible the start date in which the leave will commence and the anticipated date of return.

  • Fees for taught courses payable to provider: view approved modular courses for 2008
  • Fees for CCT payable to PMETB: £750 (as of 1 April 2007)