West-Strum D.Yang YUnderstanding Pharmacoepidemiology2010McGraw-Hill MedicalNew York, NY208 pages; $45.00 (paperback). ISBN 0-07-163500-9 / 978-0-07-1635004

Abstract

Understanding Pharmacoepidemiology is an introductory but valuable book for pharmacy students, pharmacists, and other health care professionals who need a basic understanding of pharmacoepidemiology, medication use, and safety in large populations. According to pharmacy education accreditation standards, pharmacy students need to be equipped in the knowledge of medication use and its effects, and the research methodology and statistics associated with such studies. This book is a useful resource for understanding basic concepts used in pharmacoepidemiology studies, techniques used in investigating associations of medication use and outcomes, and the interpretations of such findings. This book has 10 chapters and a glossary at the end to help readers understand pharmacoepidemiology terminologies. It also includes several case studies, discussion questions, and summaries which make it a useful tool in the classroom setting to generate dialogues that will enable critical thinking among students. The first chapter starts off with an introduction to the field of pharmacoepidemiology with brief descriptions of the phases of clinical trials, the US drug development and approval process, types of research questions that could be answered in pharmacoepidemiology research, and the different roles and opportunities for pharmacists to be involved. Chapter 2 gives the reader a basic introduction to concepts and language usually used in epidemiology and calculations of association and effect measures. Case studies within the chapter will help the reader understand how the concepts are applied and interpreted in real life research studies. Chapter 3 covers an overview of the different study designs used in pharmacoepidemiology research. The advantages, disadvantages, and limitations of each design are also discussed. Chapter 4 examines the different data sources used in pharmacoepidemiological research and defines important issues to consider when analyzing secondary data. Chapters 5 and 6 delve more deeply into biostatistics as they give basic descriptions of variables and how to make statistical inferences, and examine the different types of statistical tests that can be used and methodological issues to consider in pharmacoepidemiology studies. Chapter 7 covers how to evaluate and interpret pharmacoepidemiology literature, while Chapter 8 focuses on medication use patterns and concepts such as adherence, compliance, and persistence. Calculations of each measure and elements of its analysis using claims data are also examined. The last 2 chapters of the book (Chapter 9 and 10) focuses on drug safety, the role of the Food and Drug Administration in postmarketing drug surveillance, and the different strategies and efforts presently being used to address medication safety and reduce adverse events. In summary, Understanding Pharmacoepidemiology is an easy to read, informational text that will educate individuals who are interested in gaining knowledge related to research in the field of pharmacoepidemiology. Though the book does not delve deeply into each subject matter, it provides an introductory insight for those who want an easy to understand text, which can then create a pathway for further exploration in other specialized texts. This book will be a good resource for pharmacy students learning medication use outcomes and medication safety, research methodologies, and evaluation of pharmacoepidemology literature.