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Shawn Chen and Mary Ferrill

Week 1 - Learn the most common statistical tests used in medical literature. Week 2 - Be able to define, calculate, interpret, and describe the appropriate use of number needed to treat (NNT) and number needed to harm (NNH) in clinical trials. Week 3 - List the potential outcomes for a noninferiority compared to a superiority study. Week 4 - Describe the purpose of clinical practice guidelines with regards to how it should be used in clinical practice. Week 5 - Explore the process of PICO structure in a clinical trial. Week 6 - Learn the principles of Evidence-Based Medicine(EBM) in clinical settings. Most FutureLearn courses run multiple times. Every run of a course has a set start date but you can join it and work through it after it starts. Find out more This course is for professionals or students looking to build their clinical pharmacokinetic knowledge. You might be an undergraduate pharmacy student, a postgraduate pharmacy student or a pharmacist in clinical practice.

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Week 1 - Learn the most common statistical tests used in medical literature. Week 2 - Be able to define, calculate, interpret, and describe the appropriate use of number needed to treat (NNT) and number needed to harm (NNH) in clinical trials. Week 3 - List the potential outcomes for a noninferiority compared to a superiority study. Week 4 - Describe the purpose of clinical practice guidelines with regards to how it should be used in clinical practice. Week 5 - Explore the process of PICO structure in a clinical trial. Week 6 - Learn the principles of Evidence-Based Medicine(EBM) in clinical settings. Most FutureLearn courses run multiple times. Every run of a course has a set start date but you can join it and work through it after it starts. Find out more This course is for professionals or students looking to build their clinical pharmacokinetic knowledge. You might be an undergraduate pharmacy student, a postgraduate pharmacy student or a pharmacist in clinical practice.

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    Reviews summary

    Clinical pharmacy ebm: practical & clear

    According to students, this course is a largely positive resource for pharmacists and pharmacy students seeking to apply Evidence-Based Medicine in clinical settings. Learners consistently highlight the practical relevance and its ability to enhance understanding of medical literature. The lectures are praised for their clarity in explaining complex statistical concepts like NNT/NNH and PICO structure. While many find the course well-structured and paced for professionals, some undergraduate students found the statistical sections rushed and felt it assumed too much prior knowledge, suggesting it's better for those with some EBM foundation. Additionally, a few reviews noted that some case studies or cited literature seemed slightly dated, although the core principles remain sound.
    Good introduction, but some content may need updating.
    "It's a good introduction, but don't expect deep dives."
    "My only feedback is that some of the case studies felt slightly dated, but the principles remain sound."
    "Decent course, but it could use an update. Some of the examples and literature cited seemed a bit old."
    "I was hoping for more advanced content, as some parts felt superficial."
    Better suited for those with some EBM exposure or professionals.
    "I think it's better suited for undergraduates or those completely new to EBM. As a pharmacist with some prior EBM exposure, I was hoping for more advanced content."
    "I struggled to keep up with the pace, especially with the more advanced statistical tests. It felt more geared towards seasoned professionals."
    "My only minor critique is sometimes the pacing felt a bit fast in the stats section if you're not already familiar."
    "I found this invaluable. Highly recommend it for anyone in clinical pharmacy, whether student or professional."
    Generally well-structured with a good learning pace.
    "The course is well-structured and moves at a good pace."
    "I found it highly relevant for my upcoming clinical rotations. The quizzes were also good for reinforcing learning."
    "The course material is generally high quality."
    Complex EBM statistical concepts are clearly explained.
    "The modules on NNT/NNH and PICO were particularly insightful, offering clear explanations..."
    "The content on statistical tests was broken down perfectly, making complex concepts much easier to grasp."
    "The way they explained NNT/NNH was incredibly clear, and I can now confidently interpret these values in research."
    "I found the content on noninferiority studies particularly well-explained."
    Highly applicable for practicing pharmacists and students.
    "This course was largely practical and highly relevant for a practicing pharmacist."
    "It definitely enhanced my understanding of how to critically appraise medical literature."
    "Absolutely essential for any clinical pharmacist! ... It definitely helps you navigate the vast medical literature more effectively."
    "I learned how to apply these concepts in daily clinical practice."

    Career center

    Learners who complete Evidence-Based Medicine in Clinical Pharmacy Practice will develop knowledge and skills that may be useful to these careers:

    Reading list

    We've selected 40 books that we think will supplement your learning. Use these to develop background knowledge, enrich your coursework, and gain a deeper understanding of the topics covered in Evidence-Based Medicine in Clinical Pharmacy Practice.
    Widely used textbook covering the principles of biopharmaceutics and pharmacokinetics. It is particularly useful for undergraduate and graduate students in pharmacy and pharmaceutical sciences. The book includes problem sets and examples to solidify understanding and is considered a strong reference tool in the field.
    This comprehensive and authoritative guide to understanding and applying evidence-based medicine. It provides detailed methods for critically appraising medical literature across various study designs. Widely considered a foundational text and valuable reference tool for students and professionals seeking to deepen their understanding of EBM principles and practice.
    This newer edition building upon the classic Rowland and Tozer text, incorporating pharmacodynamics more explicitly. It's an authoritative text for graduate students and professionals, reflecting the increasing understanding of the link between PK and PD.
    This advanced-level text focuses on the application of pharmacokinetic methods and pharmacodynamic principles for optimal drug therapy and therapeutic drug monitoring. It includes case studies and rigorous yet practical resource for professionals and advanced students.
    Is valuable for both beginners and experienced scientists in pharmacokinetics and pharmacodynamics. It focuses on data analysis and modeling, providing numerous examples and tutorials. It is particularly relevant for those interested in quantitative pharmacology and pharmacometrics.
    A classic introductory text that provides a practical, step-by-step approach to practicing and teaching evidence-based medicine. It is concise and emphasizes direct clinical application, making it ideal for busy clinicians and students. is commonly used as a core textbook in EBM courses and is excellent for gaining a broad understanding.
    This textbook provides a fundamental understanding of pharmacokinetic principles and their application in drug therapy. It's well-suited for undergraduate students and those new to the subject. The book uses visual aids and includes problem sets with solutions to help solidify learning. The latest edition includes new chapters on pharmacodynamic dosing and Bayesian pharmacokinetics.
    Focuses on Physiologically Based Pharmacokinetic (PBPK) modeling, a contemporary and advanced topic in pharmacokinetics. It is suitable for graduate students and professionals interested in this specific modeling approach used in the pharmaceutical industry.
    Known for its case-study format, this book clarifies complex pharmacokinetic concepts and their application in patient care. It's suitable for students and clinicians, divided into basic principles and clinical applications. The latest edition includes new chapters on pharmacokinetics in specific patient populations.
    This updated textbook and workbook combination widely used resource in clinical pharmacokinetics. It helps students and practitioners stay current with the latest advances in the field and provides practice problems to solidify understanding and application of concepts.
    Focuses specifically on therapeutic drug monitoring (TDM), an essential clinical application of pharmacokinetics. It provides practical guidance for healthcare professionals involved in monitoring drug levels to optimize patient therapy.
    Focuses on the application of statistical methods to medical research. It covers topics such as clinical trials, epidemiology, and public health. It is an excellent resource for researchers who need to design and analyze medical studies.
    Introduces computational approaches to pharmacokinetics and pharmacodynamics using the R programming language. It is suitable for students and researchers who want to learn how to apply computational tools for PK/PD analysis and modeling.
    Simplifies the complex subject of clinical pharmacokinetics for pharmacy students and practitioners. It focuses on fundamental concepts and clinical applications, using a step-by-step approach. It useful resource for solidifying understanding and is commonly used in academic settings.
    Is an excellent starting point for anyone new to evidence-based medicine. It clearly explains how to critically appraise published research papers and understand different study designs. It is highly accessible and widely recommended for high school students, undergraduates, and those needing foundational critical appraisal skills.
    Offers a comprehensive description of essential topics in contemporary pharmacokinetics and pharmacodynamics. It includes interactive computer simulations to help students visualize and understand PK/PD models, making it a valuable learning tool.
    Provides a comprehensive introduction to the concepts and statistical methods of meta-analysis. It explains the principles behind combining results from multiple studies to synthesize evidence. Useful for those wanting a thorough understanding of the methodology of meta-analysis, a key tool in EBM.
    A practical guide for conducting meta-analyses using the statistical software R. It covers essential steps and more advanced topics, making it highly relevant for researchers and graduate students actively involved in performing systematic reviews and meta-analyses. Requires some familiarity with R programming.
    Covers the fundamentals of biostatistics, including descriptive statistics, probability, inferential statistics, and regression analysis. It is written in a clear and concise style, making it an excellent choice for students and researchers who are new to the field.
    Provides a comprehensive overview of epidemiology, covering topics such as study design, data collection, data analysis, and interpretation of results. It is an excellent resource for students and researchers who need a strong foundation in epidemiology.
    Provides a comprehensive framework for evaluating the quality of CPGs. It outlines the key criteria for evaluating CPGs and offers practical guidance on how to conduct a rigorous quality assessment.
    Considered a classic in pharmacology, this comprehensive text includes substantial sections on pharmacokinetics. While not solely focused on PK, it provides essential foundational knowledge within the broader context of drug action. It's a valuable reference for students and professionals in various health science fields.
    Introduces basic pharmacokinetic concepts for beginner learners, covering absorption, distribution, metabolism, and excretion. It emphasizes the application of concepts in clinical practice with the use of graphs and simulations. It's a good introductory text for undergraduate students.
    A condensed version of the larger Goodman & Gilman's text, this manual still provides a solid overview of pharmacology, including key pharmacokinetic principles. It's a good option for those who need a less exhaustive but still authoritative reference.
    This concise book provides a quick summary of essential pharmacokinetic concepts, making it ideal for those who need a brief introduction or review. It's suitable for students and professionals looking for a straightforward explanation of the basics.
    Provides a concise overview of essential pharmacokinetic principles. It can serve as a good supplementary text or a quick reference for students and professionals who need to reinforce their understanding of the core concepts.
    Aimed at helping readers understand and critically evaluate clinical research papers, this book covers various study designs and statistical concepts in a relatively accessible manner. It is useful for students and professionals who want to improve their skills in reading and interpreting medical literature.
    Provides in-depth coverage of the design, conduct, and analysis of randomized controlled trials (RCTs), a cornerstone of evidence in many areas of medicine. It is valuable for researchers and those who need a deep understanding of how high-quality evidence is generated from clinical trials.
    Provides guidance on developing and using CPGs in obstetrics and gynecology. It covers topics such as prenatal care, labor and delivery, and postpartum care, with a focus on improving the health of women and their newborns.
    Provides a concise introduction to the basic principles of evidence-based medicine, including critical appraisal, biostatistics, and epidemiology. It is geared towards new learners and those seeking a fundamental understanding of EBM without extensive prior knowledge. A good resource for gaining a broad understanding at an introductory level.
    As the title suggests, this book is designed for beginners, offering a simple introduction to basic pharmacokinetic concepts. It's a suitable starting point for high school students or those with no prior knowledge of the subject.
    Introduces statistical concepts and methods relevant to understanding and applying evidence in practice and evaluating outcomes. It helps build the necessary statistical literacy to critically appraise the quantitative data presented in research studies. Useful for students and practitioners needing to strengthen their statistical foundation for EBM.
    Focusing on epidemiological principles within a public health context, this book helps build foundational knowledge necessary for understanding population-level health data and research. It is relevant for those interested in applying EBM principles to public health issues and interpreting studies in this area.
    Offers a critical examination of the pharmaceutical industry and its impact on medical research and the evidence base. It highlights issues of transparency, bias, and the challenges in obtaining reliable evidence. It's relevant for understanding contemporary issues in EBM and fostering a critical perspective on evidence generation.
    Provides a broad introduction to health informatics, a field increasingly intertwined with evidence-based medicine. It covers topics such as electronic health records, data science, and clinical decision support systems. It is relevant for understanding the technological infrastructure and data handling aspects of contemporary healthcare and EBM.

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