The first national consultant in the field of addiction psychotherapy was dr hab. n. soc. Barbara Bętkowska-Korpała from the Department of Clinical Psychology, University Hospital, prof. Of the Jagiellonian University, head of the Department of Medical Psychology at the Chair of Psychiatry of the Jagiellonian University Medical College in Krakow.
National consultants are appointed by the minister of health from among specialists in particular fields:
• medicine,
• pharmacy,
• other areas that are applicable in health care.
The minister may ask for the identification of candidates:
• national scientific societies that bring together specialists in a given field,
• the relevant councils of the medical professions.
National consultants:
• initiate national epidemiological research and evaluate research methods and results;
• forecast health needs in their field;
• advise on how to carry out tasks resulting from the National Health Program and other health programs;
• give their opinion on applications for referring a patient to treatment or diagnostic tests outside Poland;
• give opinions and advise on tasks carried out by the Medical Examinations Center, the Center for Postgraduate Education of Nurses and Midwives and the Center for Postgraduate Medical Education.
Source: MZ
