A comparison of pharmacoeconomics topics in journals and entry-level pharmacy degree curricula

The purpose of this study was to compare the pharmacoeconomic topics covered in schools of pharmacy with those appearing in professional journals and to determine whether a "gap" still exists. Articles, letters and editorials published in the 1998 volumes of seven selected journals were reviewed and an e-mail survey of schools of pharmacy was conducted. Ten percent (6/60) of the schools did not cover any of the topics. The percent of schools covering cost-effectiveness, cost-benefit, and cost-utility analyses increased from just over 30 percent in 1992 to almost 90 percent in 1998. Thirteen of the 18 topics were taught in over 70 percent (43/60) of the schools; eight of those 13 topics also appeared in over 70 percent (5/7) of the journals for a 62 percent (8/13) overlap. The increased coverage of pharmacoeconomic topics in entry-level doctor of pharmacy programs has substantially reduced the gap between what is taught and what is needed to read and interpret the pharmacoeconomic literature.