Social and Administrative Pharmacy Graduate Program

The widespread use and dependency on drugs and drug products in today's society, coupled with an increased utilization and application of pharmaceutical services, has created a need for individuals who can study the social, psychosocial, political, legal, historic and economic factors that impinge upon the use, non-use and abuse of drugs. A number of critical factors shaping the health policies in the United States and around the world emphasize the need for increased research concerning the role of pharmaceuticals and the pharmacy practitioner in new and old systems of health care. In order to accomplish this goal, the University of Minnesota College of Pharmacy offers a graduate program in Social and Administrative Pharmacy.

Program Objectives: This graduate program is designed for the student who is looking for an education and experience quite unlike the physically and biologically oriented undergraduate programs in pharmacy. This program fosters the application of behavior-oriented interdisciplinary theories to pharmacy problem solving and pharmacy system development. Positions of responsibility and leadership are available for graduates of this program in the pharmaceutical distribution systems of industrial and wholesaling practice, in clinically centered environments, in professional pharmacy organizations, in agencies of government, and in educational institutions.

The Graduate Program focuses on drug use from an individual and societal perspective. At the societal level the program's emphasis is on the examination of the system and environment in which pharmacists, patients and other health care providers interact. At the individual level the program emphasizes the interaction of biological, pharmaceutical and sociobehavioral sciences with direct patient care to assure the safe, appropriate and economic use of drugs in patients.

Mission:  The mission of the Graduate Program in Social and Administrative Pharmacy is to educate and mentor graduate students in the discovery and dissemination of new knowledge to foster appropriate use of drugs in order to improve patient outcomes at the individual and societal level.

Vision:  Develop leaders and scholars to effect systems change that optimizes medication use and improves the health of all people.  (adopted 2010)