The Principles of Pharmacology course began in 1998 to address the lack of formal training available in clinical pharmacology. The weekly lecture series, conducted by NIH, targets physicians, pharmacists and other scientists in training. Most medical schools do not offer a formal course in this discipline.

Now in its 10th year, the course covers the pharmacologic aspects of contemporary drug development and use in therapeutics. It is taught by faculty members from NIH, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration, the pharmaceutical industry and academic institutions across the United States.  It assists trainees in their preparation for the certification exam of the American Board of Clinical Pharmacology, and it guides the development of clinical pharmacology training programs throughout the country. The course also assists scientists working on translational research and experimental therapeutics, such that new drugs can move to the clinical phases of evaluation and development while adhering to sound principles of clinical pharmacology.

Since the course began over a decade ago, more than 4,000 people have enrolled in the program and more than 1,200 have earned certificates of participation. This year, the course was offered on the NIH campus and to trainees at 15 other sites, from Fort Detrick in Maryland and the University of Puerto Rico in San Juan to the Inha University College of Medicine in South Korea, who participated via teleconference.  Through its inaugural partnership with the PhRMA Foundation, the Foundation for NIH has raised $60,000 to broaden the program’s reach to include additional remote sites, and to provide honoraria and travel support for guest lecturers.