In December 2025, the British Pharmacological Society (BPS) launched an updated Clinical pharmacology, therapeutics & prescribing curriculum for medical degrees led by Dr Dagan Lonsdale, Reader in Clinical Pharmacology and Intensive Care Medicine, School of Health & Medical Sciences and Vice President (Clinical) of the BPS.
Published
Prescribing medicine safely and effectively is an essential skill that medical students must acquire to become a doctor. It is a complex process which requires knowledge of disease and the ability to make a diagnosis, an understanding of therapeutic goals and available treatment options, awareness of potential drug interactions and much more.
Robust, evidence-based framework
The curriculum was updated from the 2012 version, using a modified Delphi consensus study hosted at City St George’s. The Delphi process was led by a steering committee of six clinical and educational experts, chaired by Dr Lonsdale.
During a Delphi process, experts complete structured and anonymous rounds of questionnaires, in this instance around content of learning objectives, in order to form a consensus opinion on what should be included. The process is designed to minimise conscious and unconscious bias within groups, and converge on consensus.
Forty experts contributed to the process, including a number of clinical academics working at City St George’s. These were Dr Daniel Burrage, Senior Lecturer in Clinical Pharmacology, Dr Fu Liang Ng, Senior Lecturer in Clinical Pharmacology, Dr Reya Shah, Honorary Clinical Lecturer and Dr Andrew Hitchings, Reader in Clinical Pharmacology.
Speaking about the curriculum, Dagan said:
“I’m proud of this piece of work and the part that City St George’s clinical pharmacologists have played in shaping the curriculum. Legacy St George’s has a rich history in clinical pharmacology education, and I am pleased we continue to be leaders in this space.”
“I will be talking about the curriculum and the methodology we used for this update at the World Congress in Pharmacology in Melbourne in July, and I hope this will open up opportunities for international collaboration.”
Leading on the curriculum update is part of Dr Lonsdale’s work as Vice President (Clinical) for the BPS. This also includes initiatives relating to medicines management, policy, workforce development, and education and training. Dagan took up the role in January 2025 and is Chair of the society’s clinical committee, as well as a member of the BPS Council .
Within the School of Health & Medical Sciences, Dagan is the pharmacometrics and pharmacokinetics lead for the undergraduate BSc in Clinical Pharmacology. He is also a consultant intensive care physician working in St George's Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust.
To find out more about the British Pharmacological Society updated curriculum, please see here.