From Dr S. Dhillon, MRPharmS, and others
SIR,-The announcement of a DPharm degree for hospital pharmacists (PJ, April 8, p528) is worthy of comment. The need for career development in all fields of pharmacy is apparent and postgraduate education should respond appropriately.1 Our concern, with the insight that comes from the BPharm to MPharm titular domino effect, is the name and associated implication - a "DPharm for hospital pharmacists". The degree description and intention is clearly not a DPharm but a DClinPharm and the distinction is significant. Does specialisation properly fit with a professional "doctor of pharmacy", with the emphasis on a new degree in the name of pharmacy? Any design for a professional DPharm should ensure that it fulfils the doctorate criteria for a wide range of specialisation, as does a PhD, to which the Bradford DPharm was repeatedly compared. What should be the difference between a DPharm and a PhD? What should be the difference between a specialist MSc (following a four-year MPharm) and a DPharm. There already exists significant variation in content, design and delivery of postgraduate taught programmes which would imply variation in graduate.2
Our own development of a University of London DPharm is purposefully constrained because of the real problem of formulating a professional specification that fits the meaning of "pharmacy" as opposed to one specialist area of the profession.
DClinPharm, DCommPharm, DPharmPrac can proliferate, as do the certificates, diplomas and masters - but a DPharm needs consensus from the academic and professional community. Let us proceed with caution.
Soraya Dhillon
Director of Taught Postgraduate Education
Sally-Anne Francis
Course Director of MSc in Clinical Pharmacy
Ian Bates
Senior Lecturer School of Pharmacy, University of London