This document provides an overview of public health and the role of pharmacists in social health and disease prevention programs. It defines public health as a societal effort to protect, promote, and restore the health of all people. The objectives of public health are outlined as reducing disease, premature death, discomfort, and disability. Core public health functions include monitoring health status, educating the public, and enforcing laws to protect health. A history of the development of public health organizations and services in the US is provided. The document also describes various health service programs in India at the national, state, and local levels aimed at disease prevention and health promotion.

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FINAL YEAR B PHARMACY

2. Pharmacists and Social Health
1. Introduction
2. Definition
3. History
4. Health service programs
5. Disease prevention
6. Health education
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4. Introduction
Public health is a societal effort to protect, promote and restore the
public health.
It is a combination of sciences, skills and beliefs that are directed to the
prevention, maintenance and improvement of the health of all the people
through collective or social actions.
Programs, institutions & services
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5. What are its objectives?
The objective of public health is to reduce
The amount of disease
Premature death
Disease produced discomfort
Disability in the population.
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6. Mission of public health
Fulfill society’s interest in assuring conditions in which people can be healthy
through an organized interdisciplinary effort.
Assure that the people/society has access to appropriate and cost effective
health care.
Monitor the health status of the public and identify people at risk and
prioritize for appropriate health care.
Inform, educate and empower people about health issues and mobilizing
public or society’s involvement in health.
Develop policies, plans and legislations to support individual and community’s
health efforts.
Promoting research for new insights and innovative solutions to health
problems
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7. Definition
The art and science of preventing disease, prolonging life and promoting health
and efficiency through organized community effort.
This approach works well for those seeking to apply public health activities to
pharmacy settings.
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9. Core functions
Monitor health status to identify and solve community health problems.
Diagnose and investigate health problems and health hazards in the
community
Inform, educate and empower people about health issues.
Mobilize community partnership and action to identify and solve health
problems.
Enforce laws and regulations that protect health and ensure safety.
Link people to needed personal health services and assure the provision
of health care when unavailable.
Assure a competent public and personal healthcare work force.
Evaluate effectiveness, accessibility, and quality of personal and
population based health services.
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10. History of public heath
The 1st public health organization in America was introduced after the
yellow fever epidemics-1793.
Formation of American Public Health Association(APHA)-1872 with the
objective of advancing sanitary/personal hygiene.
With the increase in the size and responsibilities of PHS state and local wise
departments and boards, began to emerge.
Further expansion in services lead to the formation of a network of services
or a link b/w federal, state and city /local depts..
These localized departments are called as primary Health care units (PHC)
which consists of a physician, nurse, sanitarian and administrative staff.
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11. PHARMACISTS ?
Today PHS activities include not only food, drug and toxic substances but
also disease control and prevention, biomedical research, health care to
unreserved populations, mental health, sub. Abuse prevention, health
promotion and international health.
Activities are further expanded with he introduction of antibiotics and
vaccines both reduce the danger of infections.
Chronic diseases began to assume a major role in morbidity and
mortality hospital care was replaced by home care.
Introduction of immunization communities instituted programs for
disease prevention with vaccines and more personal health services such
as maternal and child health.
Though nurses are the primary care provider pharmacists should become
acquainted with local public health nurses and should provide services to
patients.
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12. New public health issues -1970s
New disease outbreaks like AIDs, Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome
(SARS),environmental problems-exposure and disposal of toxic chemicals and
wastes, nuclear waste, smog and air pollution.
Societal problems like care of elderly population, teenage pregnancy and
substance abuse.
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Health service Programs
Though it is the of the federal Government’s constitutional right to
promote the general welfare each state has got the right to guard the
health of their inhabitants.
Within the state the health dept. provide a wide spectrum of services to
the community under the rubric of public health.
The link between local and state health depts. and federal consultants.

13. Who is the responsible person?
Health Director- Advanced degree in public health is responsible for
the overall management of a health dept.
Nurses- Public Health Nurses, provide health services both at clinic
and home.
Care of people ranging from infants-geriatrics.
Prevention and progress of diseases.
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16. Public health is a health service for the financially, socially or
geographically disadvantaged.
In reality for all members of community.
Role of pharmacists get acquainted with the local health dept.
Study the wide range of services
Avail these services as per the need.
Involve locally in public health.
Involvement of pharmacists in the board.
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18. Content
UNIT I
Concept of health and disease: Definition, concepts and evaluation of
public health. Understanding the concept of prevention and control of
disease, social causes of diseases and social problems of the sick.
Social and health education: Food in relation to nutrition and health,
Balanced diet, Nutritional deficiencies, Vitamin deficiencies, Malnutrition
and its prevention.
Sociology and health: Socio cultural factors related to health and
disease, Impact of urbanization on health and disease, Poverty and health
Hygiene and health: personal hygiene and health care; avoidable habits
UNIT II
Preventive medicine: General principles of prevention and control of
diseases such as cholera, SARS, Ebola virus, influenza, acute respiratory
infections, malaria, chicken guinea, dengue, lymphatic filariasis,
pneumonia, hypertension, diabetes mellitus, cancer, drug addiction-drug
substance abuse
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19. Unit III
National health programs, its objectives, functioning and outcome of
the following:
HIV and AIDS control programme, TB, Integrated disease surveillance
program (IDSP), National leprosy control programme, National mental
health program, National programme for prevention and control of
deafness, Universal immunization programme, National programme for
control of blindness, Pulse polio programme.
Unit IV
National health intervention programme for mother and child, National
family welfare programme, National tobacco control programme, National
Malaria Prevention Program, National programme for the health care for
the elderly, Social health programme; role of WHO in Indian national
program.
Unit V
Community services in rural, urban and school health: Functions of PHC,
Improvement in rural sanitation, national urban health mission, Health
promotion and education in school. 19