About Heading link
The UIC Department of Pharmacy Systems, Outcomes and Policy (PSOP) is among the largest and finest of its kind in the United States. The Department focuses on research, education/training, and service in the field of social, administrative, and behavioral pharmacy, which incorporates approaches from the management sciences, economics, epidemiology, and the social sciences, to issues in healthcare that relate to pharmacy, pharmacists, and pharmaceuticals.
Top Tier Faculty Heading link
The faculty of the Department are recognized by their peers as among the best in their areas of expertise in the United States and the World. Current faculty hold national and international leadership positions in professional associations, are editors of major medical and pharmacy journals, serve on boards of pharmacy and health care related companies, and are frequently consulted for their opinions and expertise. Along with the full-time members, adjunct and affiliate faculty members from government, industry, and pharmacy practice, as well as other departments and colleges at the University, provide complementary expertise and contributions to the Department’s activities.
Impactful Research Heading link
A primary goal of the Department is to conduct research that is both innovative and that will have an impact on society. Research conducted by faculty and students may be theoretical or applied and is often interdisciplinary in nature, requiring collaboration across the health sciences and other fields. This research is facilitated by strong partnerships with local, national, and international companies, with government agencies, managed care organizations, pharmaceutical manufacturers, health provider organizations, professional associations, and with other national and international university-based researchers.
The research of the Department is nationally and internationally renowned and is funded by top governmental agencies, foundations, and pharmaceutical companies. Particular research strengths of the Department include comparative effectiveness research, drug utilization and patterns of use, health-related quality of life, medication and health disparities, medication adherence, patient and medication safety, pharmaceutical outcomes research, pharmacoeconomics, pharmacoepidemiology, and pharmacy services research.
Many PSOP faculty are also members of the UIC Center of Pharmacoepidemiology and Pharmacoeconomic Research (CPR). The CPR is jointly administered by PSOP and the Department of Pharmacy Practice, and is widely regarded for its research and training programs. Between 2005 and 2013 the CPR was also the coordinating isght for the Chicago-Area DEcIDE Center (Developing Evidence to Inform Decisions about Effectiveness) funding by the Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality (AHRQ). The Department was also home for AHRQ funded CERT (Centers for Educations and Research on Therapeutics) from 2006 to 2013.
While conducting research and generating new knowledge are important, for such information to inform public policy and impact society it must be disseminated and used. Thus, the Department actively seeks to translate and disseminate its research findings in scholarly publications and presentations at scientific meetings in order to inform health care policy and practice.
Education and Training Heading link
A key role of the Department is to contribute to the education of future pharmacists and pharmacy researchers. Faculty of PSOP teach important core and elective courses in the Professional Doctor of Pharmacy (PharmD) at UIC. PharmD students also have opportunities to work one-on-one with PSOP faculty via elective research, independent study, and clerkship rotations.
Importantly, the Department also offers graduate-level study and research in pharmacy systems, outcomes, and policy. Information on the PSOP graduate program can be found at the Graduate Program page on this website. The program is highly competitive, attracting students from all over the world who seek to purse one of the degree options offered, including the Master of Science (M.S.) in Comparative Effectiveness Research, the Doctor of Philosophy (Ph.D.) in Pharmacy, a joint PharmD/PhD, and a certificate in Pharmacoepidemiology. Each program offers opportunities for individualized work to meet the special needs of each prospective student.