American Healthcare System

Catalog description

Health care is identified as one of the nation's most critical issues. This two-credit course is designed to provide students with the foundation of practical knowledge about the American health care and medical delivery systems. The course will provide an overview of the economic, social, and political perspectives that define, describe, and shape the delivery of health care in the United States. The students will learn about the three primary elements of access, quality, and cost that confront policy makers, providers, and patients; and how these elements interact to determine the nature of health care systems and health policy. In addition, the course will incorporate an introduction to the operations and procedures of hospital, community and long term care pharmacy. The students will learn the how the American health care system impacts the daily practice of these three areas of pharmacy in regards to formulary management, policies that guide patient safety and the role of the pharmacist as a member of the health care team.