Master's Program in Pharmaceutical Care Outcomes and Policies
Program Vision:
Leadership and excellence in conducting research on pharmaceutical care outcomes and policies at the Arab and regional levels.
- Training highly skilled researchers to conduct high-quality research in pharmaceutical care outcomes and policies.
- Producing original research to help evaluate and improve healthcare decisions for physicians and patients.
- Conducting research on the clinical and economic impacts of pharmaceutical services and medications at the level of healthcare facilities and the community.
- Contributing to improving medication use in the community by verifying drug efficacy and mitigating side effects.
- Producing scientific evidence to improve community health, patient care, and ensure efficient use of financial resources in the Kingdom's health sectors.
- Knowledge and Understanding:
- Explaining research methods and methodologies related to pharmaceutical care outcomes and policies research.
- Knowledge of statistical methods used in pharmaceutical care outcomes and policies research.
- Integrating the fundamental sciences in the field of health services with methods of evaluating their efficiency and potential value among individuals and groups.
- Cognitive Skills:
- Identifying, interpreting, and critically evaluating research literature in the field of pharmaceutical care outcomes and policies.
- Participating in the design and conduct of research that makes an original contribution to improving patient health and healthcare outcomes.
- Applying appropriate research methods to address questions and problems in the field of pharmaceutical care outcomes and policies research.
- Identifying problems in healthcare, exploring potential strategies for solving them and prioritizing them, and designing, implementing, and evaluating feasible solutions.
- Professional and Practical Skills:
- Leading research personally in the program.
- Working effectively as a leader and team member.
- Managing meetings and scientific discussions effectively and professionally.
- Utilizing human and financial resources to improve the efficiency of medication and medical services use.
- Comparing and contrasting the components of model drug use systems in the various fields in which pharmacy is practiced.
- General Skills:
- Conducting scientific activities ethically.
- Joining and attending meetings of scientific and professional organizations.
- Networking with local researchers to conduct high-quality research at the local level.
- Communicating and publishing research findings orally at conferences, or through writing in conferences and peer-reviewed scientific journals.
- Program Beneficiaries:
- Universities and educational institutions in Saudi Arabia and neighboring countries that work in the field of educating pharmacists and preparing them for work in the health sector.
- Regulatory institutions and bodies that work on formulating systems and laws regulating the work of the health sector.
- Healthcare institutions and hospitals; to evaluate the efficiency of spending and the quality of the outputs of healthcare provided to patients.
- Health product manufacturing and marketing companies; to formulate strategic plans for product manufacturing and marketing.
- Consultancy and research centers that design and implement studies necessary for making evidence-based decisions.
- Institutions concerned with collecting health data at the national level; to evaluate healthcare outcomes from various service providers; to monitor progress towards achieving the desired strategic goals for community health in the Kingdom's Vision 2030.
Course Selection Options
Required Credits: 39 credit hours, including the research project as follows:
| Course Type | Number of Courses | Required Credit Hours |
|---|---|---|
| Mandatory Courses | (12) | (25) Credit Hours |
| Elective Courses | (4) | (8) Credit Hours |
| Research Project | (2) | (6) Credit Hours |
| Total | (18) | (33) Credit Hours + (6) Credit Hours for the Research Project |
Study Program:
Course Curriculum
Level 1
| No. | Course Code | Course Title | Credit Hours |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 571 | Research Methods | 3 (3+0) |
| 2 | 572 | Applied Biostatistics | 3 (2+2) |
| 3 | 573 | Principles of Research Ethics | 1 (1+0) |
| 4 | 574 | Principles of Pharmacoeconomics | 3 (3+0) |
| 5 | 575 | Fundamentals of Pharmaceutical and Healthcare Systems | 2 (2+0) |
| Total | 12 Credit Hours | ||
Level 2
| No. | Course Code | Course Title | Credit Hours |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 576 | Principles of Pharmacoepidemiology | 2 (2+0) |
| 2 | 577 | Applied Pharmacoeconomics | 3 (2+2) |
| 3 | 581 | Seminar (1) | 1 (0+2) |
| 4 | 583 | Research Project - 1 | 3 (0+6) |
| 5 | Elective 1 | Elective Course (1) | 2 (2+0) |
| Total | 11 Credit Hours | ||
Level 3
| No. | Course Code | Course Title | Credit Hours |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 578 | Patient-Reported and Clinical Outcomes | 2 (2+0) |
| 2 | 579 | Comparative Effectiveness Studies | 2 (2+0) |
| 3 | 580 | Scientific Writing | 2 (2+0) |
| 4 | 584 | Research Project - 2 | 3 (0+6) |
| 5 | Elective 2 | Elective Course (2) | 2 (2+0) |
| Total | 11 Credit Hours | ||
Level 4
| No. | Course Code | Course Title | Credit Hours |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 582 | Seminar (2) | 1 (0+2) |
| 2 | Elective 3 | Elective Course (3) | 2 (2+0) |
| 3 | Elective 4 | Elective Course (4) | 2 (2+0) |
| Total | 5 Credit Hours | ||
| Overall Total | 39 Credit Hours (33 + 6 Research Project) | ||
List of Elective Courses
| No. | Course Code | Course Title | Credit Hours |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 585 | Medication Vigilance and Patient Safety | 2 (2+0) |
| 2 | 586 | Advanced Pharmaceutical Product Marketing | 2 (2+0) |
| 3 | 587 | Social and Behavioral Aspects of Pharmacy Practice | 2 (2+0) |
| 4 | 588 | Advanced Epidemiology | 2 (2+0) |
| 5 | 589 | Health Technology Assessment | 2 (2+0) |
| 6 | 592 | Health Care Financing | 2 (2+0) |
| 7 | 593 | Medication Therapy Management | 2 (2+0) |
| 8 | 594 | Value-Based Healthcare | 2 (2+0) |
| 9 | 595 | Advanced Hospital Pharmacy Management | 2 (2+0) |
| 10 | 596 | Fundamentals of Public Health | 2 (2+0) |
| 11 | 597 | Pharmaceutical Systems and Policies | 2 (2+0) |
Course Descriptions:
Course Descriptions:
571: Research Methods (3+0)
This course covers the research process in pharmaceutical care outcomes and policies, from identifying research problems using various methodologies to collecting data and interpreting results in light of the strengths and weaknesses of different research methodologies. Topics include theory building, data sources, literature review, secondary data analysis, experimental and observational research, exploratory research, qualitative research, sampling, measurement levels, and data collection and processing.
572: Applied Biostatistics (2+2)
This course covers the statistical analysis skills needed for pharmacy-related research. Topics include descriptive statistics, probability, estimation, hypothesis testing, confidence intervals, common parametric and non-parametric tests, contingency table analysis, multivariate analysis of variance, and sample size calculations. Computer lab sessions provide hands-on training in importing data into statistical software and data analysis.
573: Principles of Research Ethics (1+0)
This course discusses ethical issues in research. Topics include ethical guidelines for recruiting study participants, obtaining consent, and storing personal data.
574: Principles of Pharmacoeconomics (3+0)
This course introduces students to the fundamental concepts of pharmacoeconomics and aims to equip students with techniques and methods for evaluating and calculating the economic data of healthcare. This course focuses on various types and measurements of pharmaceutical costs and outcomes and investigates how to analyze them, such as cost-benefit analysis, cost-effectiveness analysis, cost-utility analysis, cost-minimization analysis, and cost-consequence analysis.
575: Fundamentals of Pharmaceutical and Healthcare Systems (2+0)
In this course, students will learn about the wide variety of health and disease determinants and the different health systems and policies followed in different countries around the world. Students will also have the opportunity to critically evaluate health systems in different parts of the world, analyze current and emerging global health priorities, and the principles and impacts of health system reforms and major global initiatives for disease prevention and health development.
576: Principles of Pharmacoepidemiology (2+0)
This course aims to provide students with an understanding of the fundamentals and principles of designing, presenting, and interpreting epidemiological studies. Topics include studying the epidemiology of health challenges such as: communicable and non-communicable diseases, aging, health determinants, and mental health.
577: Applied Pharmacoeconomics (2+2)
This course provides an advanced review of the methodologies of pharmacoeconomics and its research. The course will cover topics such as: methods for evaluating outcomes, costs in evaluating pharmaceuticals, medical devices and other interventions, and the application of pharmacoeconomics in decision-making in healthcare systems.
578: Patient-Reported and Clinical Outcomes (2+0)
This course covers patient-reported outcomes, health status measures, quality of life, and satisfaction with healthcare. The course aims to study the role of patient-reported outcome measures in studying the impact of disease and the impact of pharmaceutical products and services.
579: Comparative Effectiveness Studies (2+0)
This course provides an introduction to comparative effectiveness research, where students learn about the rationale for conducting comparative effectiveness research and how it compares to other research areas. Students will also learn the purpose of conducting comparative effectiveness research and a variety of data sources and analytical methods used in comparative effectiveness studies.
580: Scientific Writing (2+0)
This course aims to equip students with scientific writing skills. The curriculum covers topics such as: principles of good writing, writing scientific papers, peer review, and the publication process. Practical examples and exercises for various self-writings will be provided during the course.
581: Seminar (1) (1+2)
This course is part of a seminar series that brings together faculty members, graduate students, clinicians, and researchers from the pharmaceutical industry in a forum that allows for broad discussion of research and its applications to pharmacy and healthcare.
582: Seminar (2) (1+2)
This course is part of a seminar series that brings together faculty members, graduate students, clinicians, and researchers from the pharmaceutical industry in a forum that allows for broad discussion of research and its applications to pharmacy and healthcare.
583: Research Project - 1 (0+6)
Students conduct and present the results of a scientific study in one of the fields of pharmaceutical care outcomes and policies research under the supervision of a specialized professor, write a research report, and seek to publish it in a scientific journal.
584: Research Project - 2 (0+6)
Students conduct and present the results of a scientific study in one of the fields of pharmaceutical care outcomes and policies research under the supervision of a specialized professor, write a research report, and seek to publish it in a scientific journal.
585: Medication Vigilance and Patient Safety (2+0)
This course introduces students to strategies for improving patient safety. The course will cover topics such as: patient safety culture and the characteristics of systems and processes that support it, safety and quality metrics for identifying areas for improvement, and how to monitor and maintain improvement projects.
586: Advanced Pharmaceutical Product Marketing (2+0)
This course teaches the current pharmaceutical marketing environment from both academic and practical perspectives. The course will cover topics such as: demand analysis in the pharmaceutical market, tools for promoting medical products in the pharmaceutical market, and marketing plans.
587: Social and Behavioral Aspects of Pharmacy Practice (2+0)
This course discusses how social and individual behaviors intersect with health and disease behaviors. The course will cover topics such as: health and disease, medication-taking behavior, patient participation in decision-making, and the interaction between the pharmacist or physician and the patient.
588: Advanced Epidemiology (2+0)
This course covers the complex issues behind the design and interpretation of epidemiological studies. The course will cover in an advanced way topics such as studying the epidemiology of health challenges such as: communicable and non-communicable diseases, aging, health determinants, and mental health.
589: Health Technology Assessment (2+0)
This course aims to educate students on the efficiency in designing, commissioning and reviewing health technology assessments. The course will cover topics such as: the importance of health technology assessments, current and future issues in health technology assessments, conducting health technology assessment studies, framing and defining the scope in health technology assessments, combining clinical, cost and economic evaluation, ethical, legal, social and cultural and other standards in health technology assessments, methods of integrating societal and stakeholder values, and critical evaluation of health technology assessment reports.
592: Health Care Financing (2+0)
This course introduces students to healthcare financing systems. The course will cover topics such as: an introduction to healthcare financing, health insurance and reimbursement, creating and interpreting financial statements, financial management of healthcare, financial evaluation in healthcare, and healthcare budgeting.
593: Medication Therapy Management (2+0)
This course equips students with the skills to ensure that individuals take their medications as prescribed and empowers them to support the management of chronic diseases, multiple cancers and multiple medications. The course will cover topics such as: patient-centered approaches to safe and effective medication use, principles of medication improvement, identification systems, reporting and learning from medication-related patient safety incidents, medication communication systems when patients move from one care setting to another, medication reconciliation and review, self-management plans, tools to help patients make medication decisions, and clinical decision support tools.
594: Value-Based Healthcare (2+0)
This course equips students with the skills to improve care delivery processes and implement an effective value measurement system. The course will cover topics such as: goals of value-based healthcare, identifying patient-important outcomes, calculating the costs of patient treatment, contemporary cost accounting tools, collaboration and care coordination with key partners around patient needs, integration of the provider system, payment models, managing coverage issues or policy changes from public health plans or private insurance companies, and improvement methodologies and the operation of leading value improvement programs.
595: Advanced Hospital Pharmacy Management (2+0)
This course prepares students for administrative, supervisory, and leadership responsibilities in hospital pharmacy. The course will cover topics such as: how to design, implement, and manage a safe and effective medication use system, a quality improvement plan for the pharmacy department, and human resource management for the hospital pharmacy.
596: Fundamentals of Public Health (2+0)
This course aims to explain the factors that lead to the unequal distribution of health and disease in the world. The course begins with an introduction to the language of global health: disease burden, epidemiology, cost-effectiveness, and the fundamentals of public health. It then analyzes the rationales and intervention methods for improving public health by exploring a number of prominent topics, including epidemic diseases, access to pharmaceutical products, health human resources, and maternal and child health.
597: Pharmaceutical Systems and Policies (2+0)
This course introduces students to the regulatory and policy issues related to the pharmaceutical sector at both the national and global levels. The course will cover topics such as: policies and regulations to improve access to healthcare, affordability, and the acceptability and use of medication.
