Third Report on the Organization of Pharmacology in Great Britain

Abstract

The results presented in this Report on the Organization of Pharmacology in the United Kingdom are based on replies to questionnaires sent out in 1983. In addition to academic and industrial research and development (R&D) departments we also surveyed industrial departments of toxicology, sales, clinical liaison and medical information, as well as specialized research units with no formal teaching function. The overall response rate was 87%. Since the last Report in 1971, the total number of pharmacologists has doubled to 2220, and they are now almost equally distributed between Universities and Industry. The most striking feature has been a major (3 fold) increase in the total number of industrial pharmacologists to 1014. In contrast, there was only a 1.3 fold increase in the number (99) of pharmacologists in established academic posts, over half of which are in the new departments of clinical pharmacology. Of the established pharmacologists in academic departments only 8% were less than 30 years of age and 22% over 50, whereas in industrial R&D departments the corresponding figures were 44% and 6% respectively. Since 1971 the proportion of pharmacy graduates in established academic or industrial R&D posts has fallen from 30% to 13% but the proportion with a medical qualification is almost unchanged. In academic departments, there was a net loss of established staff during 1982 and 1983 compared with a net gain of almost 100 appointments in industrial departments. The major single cause of academic pharmacologists leaving posts was early retirement, whilst in the industrial sector the major single destination was another industrial department. In 1983, 227 students graduated with a special B.Sc. degree in Pharmacology compared with 67 in 1971. The same period saw a decline in pharmacy students specializing in pharmacology (293 to 204) and the emergence of Joint Honours courses that include pharmacology. Pharmacology students who graduated in 1983 were also sent a questionnaire. From those responding (57%) over 90% were satisfied with their course and over 80% considered it adequate preparation for their future occupation. At the time of the survey in 1983, only 8% of students graduating in 1982 were unemployed, but all of the 1982 postgraduates were employed.