The Centre for Human Drug Research (CHDR), the Dutch Central Committee on Human Research (Centrale Commissie Mensgebonden Onderzoek, CCMO), the Dutch Medicines Evaluation Board (College ter Beoordeling van Geneesmiddelen, CBG), the Leiden University Medical Center (LUMC), the Dutch association of pharmaceutical medicine (Nederlandse Vereniging Farmaceutische Geneeskunde, NVFG), and the Dutch association of clinical pharmacology and biopharmacy (Nederlandse Vereniging van Klinisch Farmacologie en Biofarmacie, NVKFB) have signed a memorandum of understanding to assess the education and training wishes of biomedical professionals. The aim of the memorandum is to examine the needs, wishes and learning objectives of biomedical professionals in the Netherlands and to investigate possibilities to create an integrated curriculum with a suitable didactic model for this group.

These six parties – connected to academia, professional associations, industry and government –share the opinion that cohesion exists between the knowledge requirements of (bio)medical professionals (regarding the development of new medical and pharmacological interventions) and the review and performance of (pre-)clinical studies and Health Technology Assessments (HTAs). Shared learning objectives will offer opportunities to join efforts and prevent fragmentation for this group of professionals.

The report will include assessment of the current state of post-academic education and a scout will soon be appointed. The report will be finalized before summer 2018.

Picture by Geert van Tol, taken during the ZonMw GGG-congres on 10 April 2018 in Amsterdam. From left to right: Marc Kaptein (NVFG), Jeroen Smeden (CHDR), Kees Kramers (NVKFB), Marcel Kenter (LUMC), Joop van Gerven (CCMO) and Anthonius de Boer (MEB-CBG)