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340.684.01
Pharmacoepidemiology: Drug Utilization

Location
East Baltimore
Term
3rd Term
Department
Epidemiology
Credit(s)
3
Academic Year
2017 - 2018
Instruction Method
TBD
Class Time(s)
Tu, Th, 8:30 - 9:50am
Auditors Allowed
Yes, with instructor consent
Available to Undergraduate
No
Grading Restriction
Letter Grade or Pass/Fail
Course Instructor(s)
Contact Name
Frequency Schedule
Every Other Year
Next Offered
2025 - 2026
Description
Drug utilization research forms a core backbone of the field of pharmacoepidemiology. This is because the determinants of the utilization of prescription drugs are complex and multifactorial; understanding how, why, when and where drugs are used is crucial to inform regulatory and payment policy as well as clinical practice.
Provides an overview of drug classification systems as well as a review of data sources used for drug utilization research. Reviews methods of investigating drug utilization and evaluating interventions to modify utilization, such as time-series designs and segmented regression analyses. Discusses varied patient, provider, practice and system-level determinants of prescription drug utilization, including their impact on costs and quality of care. Emphasizes the impact of drug formularies, marketing and promotion of drugs, health insurance exchanges, and emerging evidence of benefits and harms.
Learning Objectives
Upon successfully completing this course, students will be able to:
  1. Apply knowledge to a critical discourse demonstrating intermediate/advanced knowledge of the determinants of drug utilization, including the effect of marketing and promotion, pharmaceutical regulation, and payment policies.
  2. Critically evaluate studies that examine drug utilization through a firm understanding of analytic approaches of such studies as well as the numerous determinants and predictors of utilization.
  3. Create rigorous evaluations of drug utilization by employing knowledge of drug taxonomies, data sources, data interpretation, and implications for public policy and clinical care.