SUMMARY
The paper aims to analyse four decades of development of Clinical Pharmacology (CP), as a medical specialty integrated into the system of health care provision in Slovakia (SK). CP in SK has been established by acceptance of its founding document (Conception) by the Ministry of Health in 1979. It followed in steps of similar international developments and was a marked success of long-term efforts of devoted professionals stemming from various medical specialities.
It has been understood from its beginning as a predominantly clinical, patient care-oriented medical discipline. In an interdisciplinary manner, it helped to keep SK medicine abreast with international developments of 1980-ies and 1990-ies and to launch its modernisation after the fall of the Iron Curtain (1989-1990). Building CP capacities within the SK health care system (HCS) went in parallel with the establishment of an integrated, state-accredited system of physicians‘ postgraduate education and training in CP (1993: recognition of CP as a sub-specialty of internal medicine, 2004: as an independent medical specialty, 2007: prescribing authorisation of a physician – clinical pharmacologist substantially extended). This has been supplemented by the system of continuous medical education (CME) and continuous professional development (CPD) for CP specialists, while CP contributed, content-wise, in a substantial way, to the CME/CPD of other medical specialities.
Facing newer conceptual and existential challenges, and also some unjustified competence pressures, CP in SK is ready to further develop its unique scientific and professional portfolio within HCS and in academic environment and thus ensure its further successful growth and future development.
Key words: clinical pharmacology, medical specialty, Slovakia, education and training, health care system, professional society.
Lek Obz, 2022, 71 (1): 37-45
Helena GLASOVÁ 1,2, Klára SOBOŇOVÁ 1,4, Jozef GLASA 1,2,3
1 Slovak Society of Clinical Pharmacology, o. b. Slovak Medical Association
2 Department of Clinical Pharmacology, Faculty of Medicine, Slovak Medical University in Bratislava
3 Institute of Health Care Ethics, Faculty of Nursing and Professional Health Studies, Slovak Medical University in Bratislava
4 Clinic of Clinical Pharmacology of the Faculty of Medicine, Slovak Medical University in Bratislava and of the Faculty Hospital Nové Zámky, Slovak Republic
Cite:
GLASOVÁ H., SOBOŇOVÁ K., GLASA J: Clinical pharmacology as a medical specialty in slovakia: development, present challenges and future perspectives. Lek Obz, 2022, 71 (1): 37-45
