Pharmacoepidemiology Education in US Colleges and Schools of Pharmacy

Abstract

to examine the type and extent of pharmacoepidemiology education offered to professional (PharmD) and graduate (MS/PhD) students. Results. The response rate was 100%. Of the 89 schools surveyed, 69 (78%) provided pharmacoepidemiology education to their professional students. A mean of 119 (660) PharmD students per college/ school per year received some pharmacoepidemiology education (range 1-60 classroom hours; median 10 hours). Thirty-five schools (39%) provided education to a mean of 6 (65) graduate students (range 2-135 classroom hours; median 15 hours). Conclusions. A majority of US colleges and schools of pharmacy offer some pharmacoepidemiology education in their curriculum. However, the topics offered by each school and number of classroom hours varied at both the professional and graduate level.Keywords: pharmacoepidemiology, epidemiology, curriculum INTRODUCTIONPharmacoepidemiology is the ''study of the use and effects of drugs in large numbers of persons.'' 1 It was first described in 1984 when it was proposed that a new discipline was necessary to integrate epidemiology and drug-related events ( Figure 1).2 Since then, pharmacoepidemiology research has evolved into an important discipline that analyzes information pertaining to areas such as adverse drug events, drug utilization patterns, drug efficacy, and post-marketing surveillance research. 3,4 Pharmacoepidemiology contributes to the body of knowledge that supports the optimal use of medications and helps clinicians make better-informed drug therapy decisions. 5 This field of research also plays a fundamental role in the drug-approval process within the United States with regard to drug safety. Recent withdrawals of marketed medications due to adverse events were primarily due to findings from pharmacoepidemiological research. In a recent editorial, Hartzema points to new roles for pharmacoepidemiology, including the development of work on quality indicators (eg, the Centers for Medicaid and Medicare 8th Scope of Work using drug use quality of care indicators) and risk management of medication errors (eg, the FDA RiskMAP). 6 The significance of pharmacoepidemiology is also demonstrated by its inclusion in one of the objectives of Healthy People 2010. 7 In this document, published by the US Department of Health and Human Resources, Objective 17-1a highlights pharmacoepidemiologic databases as resources that can be used by health care organizations to monitor and report adverse events related to medical therapies. 7As the discipline enters into its third decade, a need exists for properly trained pharmacy professionals who are capable of understanding and utilizing fundamental pharmacoepidemiological concepts and methods in their day-to-day practice. Patients and health care providers increasingly rely on pharmacists to appropriately evaluate the benefits and risks of drug therapy, thus indicating a need for pharmacoepidemiology training and education in pharmacy schools. 3,4,6,8 Although epidemiologic terms and statistics often appear in the clinic...

Pharmaceutical Health Outcomes and Policy Curricula Among Arab Countries: An Evaluation of 191 Academic Institutions

“…This study shows that 51/151 (33.7%) of the included schools have provided pharmacoepidemiology education, which is a much lower number compared to the 74/89 schools (83%) from the survey conducted in 2007 in US. [33] Several studies have reported on the importance of the pharmacoepidemiology discipline and that it be integrated into an important analysis of information concerning areas such as ADRs and post-marketing surveillance research. In addition, conducting research will be one of the main roles for pharmacists working in research units or departments in hospitals or other institutions, such as pharmaceutical companies and regulatory authorities.…”

The Economic, Social and Administrative Pharmacy (ESAP) Discipline in US Schools and Colleges of Pharmacy

“…As the profession transitions to a more patient-centered profession, the importance of ESAP content at schools and colleges of pharmacy in the United States will likely increase (Nwokeji et al, 2005;Nwokeji et al, 2007). Both the educational backgrounds of ESAP faculty and the content taught within the discipline vary greatly.…”

The Teaching of Subjects Related to Pharmacovigilance in Malaysian Pharmacy Undergraduate Programs

“…Questionnaire items were developed from a thorough review of variables and factors used in previous studies and previous survey instruments used to assess pharmacoepidemiology and pharmacoeconomic education being though in US pharmacy programs [3,16,[20][21][22][23][24]. The final questionnaire comprised of 5 sections.…”