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The Spanish Clinical Pharmacology Society ( Sociedad Española de Farmacología Clínica - SEFC), as the body representing the speciality, was established in the mid-eighties under the name of the Spanish Hospital Clinical Pharmacology Society. In order to enable specialists in other environments to join, the original name was amended in 1990. Membership is now open, therefore, to all doctors of medicine accrediting that they perform Clinical Pharmacology activities, and other healthcare professionals accrediting that they are associated to Clinical Pharmacology Units.
The by-laws identify the Society's fundamental objective as “helping to improve the quality of pharmacological therapy and patient care in general. By collaborating with other healthcare professionals, the Society will promote and develop Clinical Pharmacology, ensuring its scientific, technical, ethical, social and economic enhancement”.
Since it was created, the SEFC has increased the scope of its activities with the support of its different Presidents and Management Boards. It is currently in a period of considerable development, having ensured the participation of numerous members of the Society in its different task forces .
Its objectives can be summarised as “improving the use and research of drugs, fostering the development of Clinical Pharmacology as a medical speciality and strengthening its activities in all areas of the health system in which any of such activities take place”.
The Spanish Clinical Pharmacology Society is currently a member of the EACPT (European Association for Clinical Pharmacology and Therapeutics) and the FACME (Federation of Spanish Medical Scientific Societies). |
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The SEFC, current status.
We are aware that we are far from our principal objective because, even in groups or centres where Clinical Pharmacology is mandatory, there are clear deficiencies consented by the administration. The following two cases are mere examples:
- 1. Legally (RD 561/1993 and 223/2004), there should be a clinical pharmacologist on every Research Ethics Committee (REC). However, a considerable number fail to comply with this requirement.
- 2. It is also established by law that every University Hospital should have a Clinical Pharmacology department. However, an important number of these and third level hospitals do not have such a department.
The management board intends to progress in this respect and has already made contact with the health authorities (Ministry of Health, Ministry of Education and Science, regional government departments, Spanish Agency for Medicines and Medical Devices, regional health services) and other scientific societies and organisations.
The SEFC publishes a newsletter “Investigación Clínica y Bioética” (ICB, Clinical Research and Bioethics) , the content of which is related to clinical trials. This newsletter is distributed in digital format to all the REC in the country, members and interested professionals. Subscription is free .
The Society organises a biennial congress (the next one is in 2006) and an annual General Assembly. |
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