Diploma in Pharmaceutical Medicine

DPM Part 1 is a Multiple Choice Question paper (MCQ) of 75 questions, each with five possible answers, all to be completed in 2 hours 30 minutes;

DPM Part 2 consists of a Short Answer Question (SAQ) paper of ten questions all to be completed in 2 hours 30 minutes; and a Critical Appraisal paper (CAP) in which candidates have 2 hours 30 minutes to study a published paper and answer questions on it.

The time allowed for the written exam is sufficient to complete the papers working at a reasonable pace.  See our reasonable adjustment policy (pdf) for candidates who may require additional time.

Please refer to the Guidance and regulations for DPM candidates (pdf) for details of changes implemented in 2019, whereby a Part 1 pass is now final leading to an award of CPM and Part 2 candidates who pass one of the papers but fail the other, do not have to retake the paper they passed at the subsequent 3 exam sittings.

Candidates must possess a medical qualification recognised by the General Medical Council (GMC) in the UK or be included on an appropriate medical register in their home country. All DPM candidates must be registered as medical practitioners. Non-physicians are able to take the CPM exam.

Since 1976 the Syllabus for Pharmaceutical Medicine has been developed by the Royal Colleges of Physicians in the UK for the Diploma in Pharmaceutical Medicine exam, and as the basis for course curricula in postgraduate training in the discipline, and subsequently specialty, of pharmaceutical medicine. Over the years the Syllabus underwent a number of revisions and updates under the auspices of the Colleges, and since 1989 by FPM.  In 1985 FPM’s Syllabus for Pharmaceutical Medicine was offered to IFAPP as the basis for the IFAPP Syllabus for Pharmaceutical Medicine, utilised for course curricula and exams in Europe and by IFAPP National Member Associations around the world.

The syllabus for CPM is based on the PharmaTrain 2018 Syllabus. The syllabus is divided into sections covering the below sections. For more information download the full syllabus (pdf).

Section 1 – Discovery of Medicines
Section 2 – Development of Medicines: Planning
Section 3 – Non-Clinical Testing
Section 4 – Pharmaceutical Development
Section 5 – Exploratory Development (Molecule to Proof-of-Concept)
Section 6 – Confirmatory Development: Strategies
Section 7 – Clinical Trials
Section 8 – Ethics and Legal Issues
Section 9 – Data Management and Statistics
Section 10 – Regulatory Affairs
Section 11 – Drug Safety, Pharmacovigilance and Pharmacoepidemiology
Section 12 – Information, Promotion and Education
Section 13 – Economics of Healthcare, Health Econocmincs and Pharmacoeconomics

Please note the following:
FPM led a project on behalf of the PharmaTrain Federation and the International Federation of Associations of Pharmaceutical Physicians and Pharmaceutical Medicine (IFAPP) to update the 2010 PharmaTrain Syllabus. The output, the 2018 PharmaTrain Syllabus came into effect in January 2018. The syllabus is used worldwide by the universities and course providers that design and run courses and exams in pharmaceutical medicine. FPM uses the syllabus to write questions for the CPM exam.

A Diploma candidate should plan a training programme in pharmaceutical medicine, where appropriate with the advice of his or her Educational Supervisor. The training in pharmaceutical medicine should involve courses, distance-learning packages, other tuition and personal study. Candidates are not required to have attended a postgraduate course covering the syllabus for pharmaceutical medicine, though most do.

There are several providers of training which candidates might find useful in the preparations for the examination. The Faculty of Pharmaceutical Medicine runs the DPM Training Programme which covers the six topic areas relevant to the Certificate and Diploma in Pharmaceutical Medicine examinations and is delivered online via the FPM Learning Hub.

Study of a current edition of one of the published comprehensive texts is highly recommended as preparation for the examination. Textbooks on key topics in the syllabus such as clinical trials, pharmacokinetics, medical statistics, safety assessments, etc, are also essential reading. Regulatory guidelines, particularly those issued by ICH, can also be a valuable source of up-to-date information.

For more information on preparing for the exams, see Guidance and Regulations: DPM Candidates.