Introduction to Public Health in Pharmacy

摘要

In addition to providing patient-centered care for individuals, emerging public health (i.e., population-based) roles by pharmacists are noted in the American Pharmacists Association Code of Ethics for Pharmacists, American Association of Colleges of Pharmacy's Center for the Advancement of Pharmaceutical Education educational outcomes, and a growing number of professional practice standards and policies promulgated by the American Society of Health-System Pharmacists (ASHP) and other organizations. Expanded professional roles in population-based care are evidenced, for example, by pharmacist participation in formal disease management programs, efforts to reduce health disparities, advocacy for effective health care reform and policy development, notable emergency-response activities (e.g., recent services and care provision during Gulf Coast hurricanes, Minneapolis bridge collapse, and California wildfires), health promotion and disease prevention activities (e.g., tobacco cessation programs, influenza vaccine management and administration), and frontline surveillance and reporting activities (e.g.,rnearly detection of potential disease outbreaks based on unusual patterns of patient complaints and nonprescription drug sales). Adequate understanding of public health concepts and applications is also needed to review and interpret research methods and findings that affect patient care and community health.