Educating psychiatrists in the post-pharma era

ABSTRACT

There are few new drugs for psychiatric disorders, and many pharmaceutical companies have withdrawn from neuroscience research. Pharmaceutical companies are therefore reducing their involvement with psychiatry, which includes a reduction in organizing and funding educational activities. This editorial looks at how psychiatrists of the future will update their knowledge and learn about new treatments, concluding that there may well be an overall reduction in the amount and quality of continuing education available for psychiatrists working in clinical practice. There may be difficulties learning about the safe and effective use of new treatments such as neurostimulation therapies. Psychiatrists will need to be more proactive in seeking education, make better use of online resources, and demand more of hospitals, universities and professional colleges.