Public Health Pharmacy and Pharmacoepidemiology

An overview of epidemiological methods (types of epidemiological studies, sampling techniques, sample size and power). Epidemiology of communicable and non-communicable diseases. Public Health indices for disease occurrence and human survival. Screening and Diagnostic Testing.

Principles and concepts of Primary Health Care (PHC) and the Bamako Initiative. Drug use and management in PHC (commonly used drugs, drug selection and distribution/essential drug list concept and drug information/education in primary health care). Drug use in infertility and family planning management. The provision of preventative, curative, promotive and rehabilitative services and public education/enlightenment in primary health care will be discussed with special emphasis on the role of pharmaceutical care in promoting public health. Concepts of antibiotics stewardship and composition of the stewardship team in hospital settings. Pharmacoepidemiology – Introduction to Pharmacoepidemiology, relationship between clinical pharmacology, clinical epidemiology and pharmacoepidemiology. Role of pharmacoepidemiology in different pharmacy practice settings. Pharmacoepidemiology and medication errors.  Surveillance and Field Studies.