Clinical Pharmacology

The Clinical Pharmacology Teaching Unit at Vall d’Hebron University Hospital is led by the Clinical Pharmacology Department, and works together with the Catalan Pharmacology Institute Foundation (FICF). Other departments involved in the Teaching Unit are principally Internal Medicine, Cardiology, A&E, Infectious Diseases, Paediatrics, Primary Care and the Pain Management Clinic. Since 1987, the Clinical Pharmacology Department has accommodated 23 Resident medical intern programmes and trained 79 specialists.

Description

In Internal Medicine, residents learn to take a full medical history, perform physical examinations, interpret clinical semiology and read laboratory tests and diagnoses, as well as assign pathology treatment guidelines. Communicating with patients and their families plays an important role during this rotation, in addition to writing admission and discharge assessments. Therapeutic consultation and drug safety are also developed, in which tasks include coding adverse reactions.

Residents are equipped to interpret and design a study of medication use and carry out a technical medication evaluation report. They also consolidate their knowledge of medical research methodology in general, and of pharmacoepidemiology in particular, which they will subsequently put into practice.

Residents learn the applied concepts of medication selection, which may include clinical efficacy, toxicity, convenience and cost of medication, plus the benefit-risk ratio.

Alongside Internal Medicine, and to enter into healthcare activities, residents take part in shifts in Clinical Pharmacology, and have the option of working in the emergency wards of other departments. Residents must be prepared to attend to patients’ queries regarding any pathology and carry out appropriate diagnosis and treatment.

During the rotation in Clinical Trials, clinical trial protocols assessed by the Clinical Research Ethics Committees must be critically interpreted and support given to general practitioners regarding use of medication. Residents also acquire knowledge of medication and therapies in basic areas of healthcare and within primary care teams, where they also undertake a rotation.

Lastly, residents have the option of an external rotation.

Accredited places: 3

Download the Unit training programme

Why specialise at Vall d’Hebron?

Because we offer the largest Clinical Pharmacology Department in Spain.
Because we teach residents to carry out the most effective medication selection.
Because we carry out research in pharmacoepidemiology and safe use of medication.
Because residents gain experience in all areas of Clinical Pharmacology.
Because we hold clinical training sessions for residents on methodology relating to therapeutic consultations, drug safety, clinical trials, clinical pharmacology, sessions of general clinical interest and literature reviews.