McCARTHY RL, SCHAFERMEYER KW (Editors). Introduction to Health Care Delivery: A Primer for Pharmacists (3rd Edition). Sudbury, Massachussetts: Jones and Bartlett; 2004. 725 pp, $69.95 (paperback), ISBN 0-7637-3281-8.
Introduction to Health Care Delivery: A Primer for Pharmacists (3rd edition) is the latest revision of the McCarthy and Schafermeyer text covering multiple facets of the United States health care system. The book is divided into 3 major sections containing a total of 23 chapters. The first section of the text contains 7 chapters providing an overview of social aspects of health care delivery. These chapters cover historical and policy perspectives on US health care delivery, health care professionals and interdisciplinary care, pharmacists and the pharmacy profession, the patient, public health, drug use and the pharmaceutical sector, and health care ethics. The second section of the book addresses organizational aspects of health care delivery. It contains 8 chapters, covering hospitals, ambulatory care, long-term care, mental health services delivery, home care, informatics in health care, international health care delivery and pharmaceutical services, and government involvement in health care. The third section covers economic aspects of health care delivery. The 8 chapters contained therein cover economic principles affecting health care, health economics, pharmacoeconomics, private health insurance, Medicare, Medicaid, managed care, and health care reform.
This text would serve as an excellent complement to its nearest competitor, Fincham and Wertheimer's Pharmacy and the US Health Care System (2nd edition). The McCarthy and Schafermeyer textbook generally provides a 'big picture' of the health care delivery system, and thus, may be of interest for persons who are not pharmacy students or practitioners. This is in contrast to the Fincham and Wertheimer book, in which more chapters focus on pharmacists, pharmacy practice, and pharmaceuticals. For example, Pharmacy and the US Health Care System (2nd edition) devotes whole chapters to the pharmaceutical industry, pharmacy organizations, and drug distribution systems, while Introduction to Health Care Delivery: A Primer for Pharmacists (3rd edition) does not. However, the McCarthy and Schafermeyer text provides chapters on international health care and pharmaceutical services, public health, and health care ethics-topics that are not treated in depth in the Fincham and Wertheimer book.
Introduction to Health Care Delivery: A Primer for Pharmacists (3rd edition) retains many of the strengths of the 2nd edition. Each chapter is clearly written, logically organized, and well referenced. Every chapter begins with a scenario that provides a context for the concepts to be discussed, as well as several questions designed to aid understanding. The new edition also has several improvements. Nearly all chapters have been updated and many have been expanded. For example, the Medicare Prescription Drug, Improvement, and Modernization Act of 2003 is now discussed in the chapter on Medicare, and a section covering pharmacist education and training now supplements the chapter on health informatics. Learning objectives have been added to each chapter and a list of key topics and terms now appears at the end of each chapter. Finally, a completely new chapter on the role of federal and state government in health care has been added.
A major strength of Introduction to Health Care Delivery: A Primer for Pharmacists (3rd edition) is its considerable breadth. The book does a good job covering most major components of the US health care delivery system and the pharmacist's diverse roles in healthcare delivery within a single volume. As such, I would recommend this text to students considering a career in pharmacy, persons teaching an introductory course in the US healthcare delivery system or pharmacy practice, and perhaps to practitioners who wish to increase their knowledge of the health care delivery system in the United States. A weakness of the book is that the level of exposition is generally introductory. As such, it would probably not be appropriate for graduate courses in social and administrative pharmacy or as a reference for advanced researchers and scholars.
In summary, Introduction to Health Care Delivery: A Primer for Pharmacists (3rd edition) provides a comprehensive and up-to-date view of most of the important aspect of the US healthcare system. This book would make a very nice edition to libraries in colleges of pharmacy and academic health centers, and will also be of considerable value to students, both prospective and current, and those teaching courses in this area.
[Author Affiliation]
Reviewed By: Richard R. Cline, PhD
College of Pharmacy, University of Minnesota
[Author Affiliation]
Corresponding Author: Richard R. Cline, PhD. Address: College of Pharmacy, University of Minnesota, 308 Harvard St. SE, Minneapolis, MN 55455. E-mail: cline011@umn.edu.
