Core Curriculum
Areas of Concentration
Specialty Areas
In addition to the core requirements, students must select an area for concentration. The selection of a concentration area should be based upon individual student interests and future career and research goals. Examples of specialty areas in the department are:
- Health Outcomes Research
- Behavioral Sciences in Pharmacy
- Pharmaceutical Care Systems and Policies
HEALTH OUTCOMES RESEARCH: Pharmacoepidemiology and Pharmacoeconomics
Pharmaceutical outcomes research focuses on evaluating the efficacy and effectiveness, safety, humanistic and cost outcomes of drug therapy, medical technologies and pharmacy related health services. Research methods from the disciplines of pharmacoepidemiology and economics are applied in pharmaceutical outcomes research.
Advanced training in these research methods include:
- experimental trials: (randomized controlled clinical trials), quasi experimental trials, program evaluation
- observational studies: cohort, case control, cross-sectional designs
- economic evaluations: cost minimization, cost benefit, cost effectiveness and cost utility evaluation systematic literature reviews and meta-analyses
- stochastic modeling: including Markov modeling and Monte Carlo simulation, Bayesian modeling
- patient reported outcomes: development of Hr-quality of life instrument, response shift theory, utility scores, patient satisfaction scales
Upon successful completion of the PhD program in the Health Outcomes track the student should have the following skills, knowledge and abilities:
- With a concentration in pharmacoepidemiology the student should be able to design a clinical trial, observational study and conduct a meta-analysis, including stating a hypothesis, developing research methods, calculate sample sizes and presenting a statistical analyses plan. The student should also be able to implement the study design, conduct the statistical analyses, interpret the findings and discuss them in the context of validity and relevance to healthcare, and prepare a publishable manuscript based on the findings.
- With a concentration in patient reported outcome the student should be able to develop a patient reported outcome measure. The student should be able to define domains, prepare items using various approaches, and select a subset of items based on face and or content validity. The student should also be able to select a scaling method, establish reliability of the items, and establish construct or criterion validity of the instrument using various techniques including confirmatory factor analysis. Establish psychometric properties of the instrument, including sensitivity, specificity, ceiling and flooring effects, item weighting and scaling procedures.
- With a concentration in pharmacoeconomics the student should be able to design a pharmacoeconomic study employing economic burden of illness, cost minimization, cost benefit, cost effectiveness or cost utility analyses. The student should be able to select the appropriate perspective for the cost equation, distinct between costs and charges, apply discount rates, and conduct sensitivity analyses. The student should be able to establish the effectiveness in money equivalents; selecting clinical parameters or utilities using results from clinical trials, observational studies or meta-analyses.
View a list of the recommended courses and their sequence for the Pharmacoeconomic/Epidemiology Track. The courses are categorized in three different areas of interest: pharmacoeconomics, pharmacoepidemiology and patient related outcomes. It is assumed that the student who selects a topic that broadly matches one of these areas takes most of the courses that define the specific area. Students can also take the courses that are listed for the other areas.
BEHAVIORAL SCIENCES IN PHARMACY
The behavioral sciences specialty area examines the psychological and social aspects of drug use, as well as the effects of pharmacy services on patient care, and the effects of interventions aimed at improving the use of medications in society. Researchable issues include:
- understanding drug use behavior, such as patient failure to follow medical advice, decisions about self-care or use of medications, beliefs about treatments, and the effects of interventions aimed at changing drug use.
- examining the relationships that exist among health providers, social institutions, and patients, including the effects of relationship and communication variables on patient behavior and health outcomes, expectations providers and patients have of their relationships, and the effectiveness of efforts to improve relationships between patients and providers. An individualized course of study encompassing health psychology, counseling psychology, medical sociology and health education is developed with each student in order to meet his or her research needs and interests.
PHARMACEUTICAL CARE SYSTEMS AND POLICIES
The concept of pharmaceutical care is analogous to medical care or nursing care. It includes both (a) providing pharmaceutical products and services in a manner that maximizes benefits and minimizes risks and (b) having the pharmacist accept responsibility for drug therapy outcomes. Both of these concepts are fundamental to designing and operating cost effective pharmaceutical services in either inpatient or ambulatory care settings, but are presently more fully developed in organized settings such as hospitals, nursing homes, and ambulatory care clinics. There are many researchable issues in this area, for example:
- the psychological processes through which both prescribers and patients make drug use decisions;
- the organizational processes through which drug use policies can be established; e.g., the effectiveness of pharmacy and therapeutics committees, formularies, and drug information services;
- the organizational processes through which drug use policies can be implemented, especially the design of drug use systems and the effect on outcomes of various components or structures, e.g., drug information and drug consulting services; and methods for evaluating appropriateness of drug use in a population.