Hamid Ghodse

Hamid Ghodse
Born	1938 (age 85–86) Iran
Occupation(s)	Professor of Psychiatry and of International Drug Policy, University of London
Website	www.incb.org/incb/members_ghodse.html

Hamid Ghodse, (Template:Lang-fa), CBE (born 1938) is an academic in the field of substance abuse and addiction.

Career

Current positions

• Professor of Psychiatry and of International Drug Policy, University of London (since 1987)
• President of European Collaborating Centres for Addiction Studies (since 1992)
• Member of the United Nations International Narcotics Control Board (since 1992)
• Member of the Executive Committee of the Federation of Clinical Professors (since 1994)
• Director of the Board of International Affairs and Member of the Council, Royal College of Psychiatrists (since 2000)
• Member of the Scientific Committee on Tobacco and Health (since 2000)
• Non-executive director of the National Patient Safety Agency (since 2001)
• Director of the International Centre for Drug Policy, St George's, University of London (since 2003)
• Chairman of Higher Degrees in Psychiatry, University of London (since 2003)
• Member of the Medical Studies Committee, University of London (since 2003)

Former positions

• President of the UN International Narcotics Control Board (1993, 1994, 1997, 1998, 2000, 2001, 2004, 2005 and 2008)
• Medical Director of the National Clinical Excellence Awards (2006)

Degrees and qualifications

Doctor of Medicine (MD), Iran (1965); Diploma Psychological Medicine (DPM), United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland (1974); Doctor of Philosophy (PhD), University of London (1976); Fellow of the Royal College of Psychiatrists (FRCPsych), United Kingdom (1985); Fellow of the Royal College of Physicians (FRCP), London (1992); Fellow of the Royal College of Physicians of Edinburgh (FRCPE), Edinburgh (1997); Fellow of the Faculty of Public Health Medicine (FFPHM), United Kingdom (1997); Doctor of Science (DSc), University of London (2002); Fellow of the Higher Education Academy (FHEA), United Kingdom (2005).

Research and policy development

Professor Ghodse has conducted research over the last 40 years within the areas of substance misuse and addictions. His early research, which formed the basis of his PhD thesis, was biological and focussed on the endocrinological effects of opioids on cortisol, growth hormone and insulin. He has also systematically investigated the effect of naloxone on the pupil and developed this research into an accurate, non-invasive test for opioid dependence which is uniquely permits the rapid differentiation of opiate dependence from non-dependent use in an outpatient setting; international patents have been taken out for both the Ghodse Opioid Addiction Test (GOAT)and the pupillometer components of the test which was selected as one of the hundred UK Millenium Product.

Another important area of research has been the development of epidemiological methods of studying the extent and nature of drug-related problems and the evaluation of the reliability and validity of various indicators. These include major surveys of accident and emergency departments and long term studies of coroners’ courts and of the Home Office Index of Addict Deaths. Continuation of this 30-year long research on mortality led to the development of a unique national database including the establishment of the National Programme of Substance Abuse Deaths (npSAD). An understanding of the “natural history” of addiction is fundamental to understanding the condition and to evaluating the effect of different treatments. Professor Ghodse’s follow-up studies of cohorts of addicts therefore make a significant contribution to knowledge in this area. He also carried out systematic evaluation of different pharmacological treatments as well as the setting in which treatment takes place.

The epidemiological methods that he pioneered were selected by WHO for international studies and his studies have contributed significantly to international policy formation. His investigations on the role of different healthcare professionals in the rational use of psychoactive drugs was important in the development of WHO guidelines on this subject. He also developed an index for the assessment of rational prescribing which was accepted by WHO as an advancement of drug utilisation research. His multicentre European studies on drugs and mental health and "Treat 2000" are contributing to the understanding of drug- related psychosis and treatment outcome of opioid addictions. He is the lead investigator in a multicentre study on the treatment of tobacco addiction in general and psychiatric hospitals and has developed a toolkit for use in these settings.

He established the International Centre for Drug Policy at St George’s University of London and over the years has attracted substantive funding for research programmes and projects in psychiatry, mental health, addictions and medical education. He is President of the European Centres on Addiction Studies (ECAS)

Education and training

Professor Ghodse was appointed to the first established Chair in Addictive Behaviour in the UK in 1987. He has established undergraduate, postgraduate and multi-professional training programmes in addiction, the benefit of which is reflected in the numbers of senior academics, consultant psychiatrists, public health practitioners, specialist nurses, social workers and psychologists leading the delivery of services in communities throughout the United Kingdom and many other parts of the world. Addiction prevention in the primary care setting as well as educational courses for general practitioners and for prison services medical and nursing staff, add to the long list of teaching and training programmes which Professor Ghodse has helped to establish. He has been directing a national programme for the development and implementation of a Corporate Substance Misuse Curriculum in Medical Schools in the UK.

For many years he was Chairman of the subject panel of Psychiatry and Co-ordinator of Higher Degree Examinations of the University of London. He is Chairman of the Association of Professors of Psychiatry in the British Isles.

International activities

Hamid Ghodse has been one of the 13 elected members of the United Nations International Narcotics Control Board since 1992. He is the first scientist to be the President of the United Nations International Narcotics Control Board, and been elected to this position for a record ten times. During this time he has helped to modernise and lead the Board, gaining the confidence of the public and governments of all nations, as a truly respected and highly regarded organisation and helping to stem the scourge of narcotic abuse and trafficking. Over the years he has vigorously tried to bring to the attention of governments the need to ensure adequate access to narcotic analgesics and other internationally controlled drugs for legitimate medical and scientific purposes. He has addressed the UN, CND, ECOSOC and the World Health Assembly as well as national parliaments and international conferences and has been an advocate for debate on controversial drug-related issues. He has also played an important role in a number of national and international civil societies, organisations and NGOs and has always been supportive of their eminent contribution to all aspects of health.

Other posts and activities

Professor Ghodse was Medical Director of the National Advisory Committee on Clinical Excellence Awards (ACCEA) for England and Wales, Chairman of the International Health Advisory Board (IHAB) and the Senior Professional advisor to the Parliamentary and Health Service Ombudsman. He was awarded the highest honour of the Royal College of Psychiatrists, by being elected an Honorary Fellow in 2006, and was made an Honorary Fellow of the World Psychiatric Association (WPA) in 2008 and International Fellow of the American Psychiatric Association (APA). He has published over 350 papers, chapters and a number of books, of which those on legal and clinical aspects have become standard works. Some of his other books, "Addiction at Work" (Gower Publishing), "International Drug Control in 21st Century" (Ashgate Publishing), "Ghodse’s Drugs and Addictive Behaviour"(4th Edition, Cambridge University Press) and "Substance Abuse Disorders"(Wiley-Blackwell Publication) are other ground-breaking works. He has been an Advisor on analgesic and on psychotropic medication (Section 4) to the British National Formulary since 1982. One of his research papers won the SIGP 2004 Prize for best psychopharmacological paper in the British Journal of Psychiatry. He was awarded the civil honour of CBE (“Honorary Commander of the Most Excellent Order of the British Empire”) in 1999 for his dedication to research and clinical practice.

References

• INCB: US Supreme Court Decision on Cannabis Upholds International Law, International Narcotics Control Board, June 8, 2005.
• International Narcotics Control Board Elects Professor Hamid Ghodse of Iran as President, May 18, 2004.
• INCB biography of Hamid Ghodse