Clinical Pharmacology
Clinical pharmacology is the scientific discipline that examines how drugs work in the human body and how the body handles drugs. It draws on pharmacology, physiology, biochemistry and medicine to understand the mechanisms by which therapeutic agents produce their effects, how they are absorbed, distributed, metabolised and eliminated, and how individual patient factors including genetics, age and disease affect drug responses. This knowledge underpins the development of new medicines, the design of clinical trials and the safe and effective prescribing of drugs in clinical practice.
At City St George's, University of London this three-year programme is described as the only undergraduate course in clinical pharmacology in the UK, making it a genuinely distinctive choice for students interested in the scientific foundations of medicine and therapeutics. You will study drug mechanisms, clinical trial design, regulatory science, drug safety and pharmacovigilance, disease processes and the translation of pharmacological knowledge into clinical practice. A sandwich year and work placements are built into the programme, providing professional experience in pharmaceutical, healthcare or research settings that develops your practical understanding of how the discipline operates in real professional contexts.
City's location in London, with its concentration of pharmaceutical companies, NHS research infrastructure and academic health science centres, provides a rich environment for this kind of study.
Graduates work in the pharmaceutical industry in roles including clinical research, drug development, pharmacovigilance, regulatory affairs and medical affairs. NHS and academic clinical pharmacology departments, contract research organisations, health technology assessment bodies and medicines regulators also recruit graduates in this field. The scientific and clinical training provides an excellent foundation for postgraduate study in pharmacology, medicine, clinical research or drug regulation, and for professional development in the pharmaceutical and healthcare sectors where understanding the science of medicines is essential.