What is Pharmacoepidemiology?

PharmacoepidemiologyThe work of pharmacoepidemiology is of great value, but is ambiguous to those who are unfamiliar with the field of medicine. Studying how drugs affect the human body and different human populations is fascinating, but intricate work. Patterns need to be discovered, research needs to be conducted, and consequences of illness and disease need to be identified. Epidemiology is the study of patterns, causes, and effects of diseases regarding human health. Pharmacology is the scientific study of medicine and drugs. The art of combining these two unique scientific worlds is the job of a Pharmacoepidemiologist.

Two Worlds in One

The occupations of Epidemiologists and Pharmacologists are constantly overlapping, as the development of drugs and medicine, and the impact of the medicine on the population are so closely connected. Drug therapy, using medication to treat disease and cure illness, is a miraculous, but intricate line of work, that needs to be closely monitored to ensure the safety of the recipients of the drugs. The health of the public is the passion that lies at the heart of each professional in the medical field. Evaluating the safety of products as well as their effectiveness for large groups of people is an essential part of this overall goal of public health.

The Heart of Medicine

Pharmacoepidemiologist Elizabeth Andrews, Vice President of RTI- Health Solutions, defines her work as the “language of public health.” She describes how her work of combining research methodology with a population-based perspective is not only rewarding, but also helps to influence the future direction of drug development. Critical thinking, analysis, fact-finding skills, curiosity, and a vested interest for ensuring the health of different populations are all necessary job requirements. It’s all about being able to identify uses and effects, both beneficial and harmful, of vaccines, medical devices, and other prescription drugs.

Influence and Impact

This bridge between sciences can further be defined as the application of epidemiological methods to the development of medicine. By combining the study of disease in populations with the study of effects of medicinal drugs on large groups of people, Pharmacoepidemiologists are able to identify and isolate unwanted effects as well as determine the best direction for further medicinal development. By use of methods such as observational studies, cohort studies, and clinical trials, they are able to find relationships and monitor trends that manifest in patients. This allows them to further predict future trends and work to lower the probability of adverse effects. Many pharmacoepidemiologists work in private research facilities, hospitals, universities, as well as for government agencies at the local, state, and federal levels. The field of pharmacoepidemiology further breaks down into specialized fields such as pharmacogenetics, pharmacovigilence, each focusing on different aspects of how medicine impacts human health.

Related Resource: Finding a Career with the World Health Organization

Value of the Work

This important social science helps us to not only better understand how to produce and regulate drugs, biologics and vaccines, but also the relationship between medicine and the individuals within a society. Without it, the unbiased relationships between exposure to smoking cigarettes and lung cancer may never have been proven. Without it, dangerous drugs may have never be replaced with more effective, safer medication. Never before have detectives worn white lab coats instead of long brown trench coats. The work of a pharmacoepidemiologist is the cornerstone of public health.