Understanding Pharmacoepidemiology is an introduction to the
study of medication utilization and safety in large populations of people.
During the last 20 years, the discipline of pharmacoepidemiology has grown
significantly. Clinicians, policy makers, researchers, academicians,
marketers, and others are all interested in pharmacoepidemiology study
findings. With the increasing use of medications, it is natural for there to
be more interest in the use and safety of medications. The U.S. Food and
Drug Administration (FDA), the pharmaceutical industry, health care
professionals, and society as a whole need to understand how medications are
used in the “real world” and need to ensure that medications are
used appropriately and safely. We hope that this book will serve as a primer
to the health care professional or student who wants to better understand
pharmacoepidemiology or medication safety.
Audience
The main audience for the book is the student or health care professional
who will apply information about medication safety and pharmacoepidemiology
to make health care decisions at the individual or population level. The
book is written primarily for health care professionals in training,
specifically pharmacy and public health students. Pharmacists, public health
practitioners, and other individuals who seek an introduction to the field
of pharmacoepidemiology will also find the book useful. The authors of the
chapters in this book are pharmacists or have faculty appointments in
schools of pharmacy. Some of the authors also have training or appointments
in public health. Although the book is an introduction to the topic, the
reader will find it helpful if he or she already has some appreciation for
research methods and statistics. The book is not intended for those who want
to learn how to conduct advanced pharmacoepidemiology techniques or
analyses; other books on the subject are available for the
pharmacoepidemiology researcher.
Purpose
This book attempts to explain what pharmacoepidemiology is, how
pharmacoepidemiology studies are conducted, and how to interpret
pharmacoepidemiology findings. In Chapters 1 to 6, we explain the importance
of pharmacoepidemiology, basic terminology used in pharmacoepidemiology
research, and the data sources, study designs, and statistical analyses
often employed in pharmacoepidemiology research. Chapter 7 provides examples
of evaluating a pharmacoepidemiology study. Two chapters provide detailed
descriptions of the use of pharmacoepidemiology to understand medication
utilization (Chapter 8) and medication safety issues (Chapter 9). The final
chapter discusses the perspective of the FDA on medication safety, the
importance of health care professionals to the process of improving
medication safety, and the ways in which pharmacoepidemiology will be a key
component of future medication safety initiatives. After reading the book,
the reader should have a better understanding of how to evaluate the
associations between medication utilization and outcomes.
Format
The heath care professional and student will find the format of the book
useful in learning this material. Each chapter includes a list of learning
objectives, case studies or examples, discussion questions, and tables and
figures. The book also includes a glossary to help the reader to master the
pharmacoepidemiology language. Moreover, faculty in schools of pharmacy or
public health will find the book a useful resource when developing and
teaching introductory pharmacoepidemiology courses. As mentioned in the
book, the Accreditation Council for Pharmaceutical Education (ACPE) requires
all pharmacy students to receive some training in pharmacoepidemiology. This
requirement reinforces the importance of the topic to pharmacists and other
health care professionals and the need for introductory pharmacoepidemiology
textbooks.
Acknowledgments
The editors want to thank all the authors for their contributions. Each
chapter is written by an expert in the area and we appreciate their
willingness to participate in this project. The editors also thank all the
graduate students in the Department of Pharmacy Administration at The
University of Mississippi, who assisted with reading various chapters and
making helpful suggestions about the book.
Conclusion
We have enjoyed editing this book and we hope that it provides a foundation
for health care professionals and students who are interested in medication
use and safety in large populations of people. We also hope that this book
sparks an interest for some persons to pursue advanced training in
pharmacoepidemiology. The U.S. health care system needs clinicians who can
interpret pharmacoepidemiology studies and apply the findings to make
evidence-based decisions, as well as researchers who can employ the various
pharmacoepidemiology techniques to provide insight into the relationship
between medication use and outcomes.