This module will provide an overview of healthcare, disease patterns and the use of medicines in different regions of the world. The range of factors which affect health and medicines use, such as patterns of disease, health beliefs and political, economic, social and environmental influences will be explored. Students will learn about the role of pharmacy, pharmacists and the pharmaceutical industry in different parts of the world and how these might contribute to improving global health.

Students will also be equipped with the skills necessary to improve, initiate and evaluate pharmaceutical care services in their home countries. These include business and financial planning, marketing, management of change and quality assurance in healthcare.

In addition to lectures and seminars covering the above topics, students will work in small groups to present a healthcare topic (‘Echoes from Home’), comparing and contrasting different approaches in their home countries.

MODULE OBJECTIVES:

At the end of the module students should be able to:

Identify patterns of morbidity and mortality, and of health care provision and funding, in different regions of the world.
 Describe demographic, epidemiological and care transition.
 Critically appraise research data from a variety of sources.
 Recognise how political, economic, social and other factors influence health policies and health behaviours.
 Evaluate policies and approaches to improve clinical practice and health service outcomes within local, national, and international contexts
 Comment on the current role of pharmacy services in different regions of the world and their potential to improve healthcare.
 Develop a proposal to improve or initiate a pharmaceutical care service in their home country.
 Propose methods to evaluate the pharmaceutical care service.
 Identify how to involve stakeholders in proposed changes to services and how to manage change.
 Effectively communicate and defend recommendations concisely in writing and through oral presentation.
 Explain leadership theories and styles.
 Describe effective and positive leadership behaviours.