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Pharmaceutical Health Outcomes and Policy

  • multiple phop students
  • student researcher
  • faculty researcher

Doctor of Philosophy (Ph.D.) in Pharmaceutical Sciences

Application Cycle for Fall 2024 Admission has CLOSED. Please check back for application information for Fall 2025 admissions.

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PHOP, as a research area, evaluates the cost, access, and quality of pharmaceutical care from clinical, sociobehavioral, economic, organizational, and technological perspectives. Traditional and innovative areas of pharmaceutical health outcomes research include pharmacoepidemiology, pharmacoeconomics, comparative effectiveness research, patient-centered outcomes research and translational research.

The graduate program offers structured learning and experiences in health care systems, sociobehavioral sciences, health care quality, biostatistics, advanced regression analyses, research methods and design, pharmacoepidemiology, and pharmacoeconomics. Elective courses such as patient-reported outcomes and risk adjustment provide advanced learning experiences, along with the opportunities to participate in grant proposal writing as well as teaching and research practicums.

Mission

The mission of this program is to develop outstanding graduates to assume leadership positions in the field of health outcomes research for careers in academia, government, and industry-related healthcare organizations.

Program Goals

Graduates of this program will be prepared to become scientists, directors and professors with a philosophy based on excellence in teaching, research and service in the areas of Health Economics and Outcomes Research (HEOR).

Program Dynamics

  • Yearly enrollment on a competitive basis
  • Financial assistance for qualified applicants based on availability
  • Collaboration with Texas Medical Center health care institutions
  • Collaboration with the pharmaceutical industry

The University of Houston (UH) is an urban teaching and research institution that sets standards of excellence in education, research and service. The UH College of Pharmacy has trained pharmacists and researchers to work in health care for 75 years. The Texas Medical Center (TMC) is the world’s largest medical and health center, with 42 member institutions specializing in every aspect of health care.

This graduate program is enhanced through its interaction and collaboration with the world-renowned institutions at the TMC, such as the University of Texas Health Science Center (UTHealth) and the University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, and other UH colleges and departments, including the C.T. Bauer College of Business Administration's MBA program (fully accredited by the prestigious American Assembly of Collegiate Schools of Business), and the College of Liberal Arts and Social Sciences' Department of Economics that offers Ph.D. and nationally recognized M.A. in Applied Economics programs.

With its renowned faculty, dedication to serving the community and affiliation with the prestigious TMC, the UHCOP is an international leader in providing quality education for its graduate students.

Job Opportunities

There is considerable evidence regarding a severe lack of qualified professional and scientific personnel nationally in the area of HEOR. Graduates will have numerous opportunities in the industry, consulting and research organizations and academia. Welcoming its first students in 2009, UHCOP's PHOP doctoral program – now offered as a concentration of the Ph.D. in Pharmaceutical Sciences – is celebrating its 10-year anniversary and boasts a 100 percent job placement rate for all of its graduates.

Application and Admissions

For program admissions information, visit the PhD Graduate Admissions page here.

Recent PHOP News

2023 Headlines

Ph.D. Alumnus Wins UH Outstanding Dissertation Award for Breast Cancer Project

UH News: Examining When to Get Off Meds for Multiple Sclerosis

First-of-its-Kind Research Center Focuses on Intersection of Population Health and Pharmacoepidemiology

PHOP Student & Faculty Presentations at ISPOR 2023 PDF

Symposium Gathers Multidisciplinary Audience to Share Insights in Medication Safety, Cognitive Decline

UHCOP Graduate Student Wins AMCP Best Poster for Atrial Fibrillation Adherence Study

Ph.D. Student Awarded APhA Best Podium Presentation for Study on Immune Checkpoint Inhibitors

UHCOP Team Secures Bronze in Industry Pharmacists Organization Competition for Drug Development Plan

2022 Headlines

Aparasu to Receive 2022 Paul Dawson Award from American Association of Colleges of Pharmacy

PhD Candidate Wins AMCP Poster Award for Study on Pharmacist Interventions Improving Hypertension, Diabetes Medication Adherence

Study Identifies Disparities in Diabetic Eye Care Among Minorities

Assistant Professor Appointed to State Council to Help Distribute Opioid Lawsuit Settlement Funds

PHOP Team Identifies Increased Risk of Overactive Bladder, Polypharmacy with Dementia Drug

2021 Headlines

Aparasu's Work to Assess Multiple Sclerosis Patient Medication Adherence, Relapse Rates Receives AHRQ Support

PHOP Student Earns 2nd AMCP Nexus Bronze with Anti-hypertensive Medication Adherence Research

UHCOP, UTHealth at Houston to Host NIH-funded Geriatrics Medication Safety Symposium

12 Students Complete Cougar Health Research Academy in Public Health

New Alumnus Tyler Varisco Joins Health Outcomes and Policy Faculty

Aparasu Appointed as Inaugural Lokhandwala Professor for PHOP Chair

Record 7 PHOP Students Secure Research Internships in Pharmaceutical Industry

UHCOP, Houston Health Department Partner to Train Undergraduate Student for Public Health Work

ISPOR 2021 Virtual Student-Faculty Presentations PDF

Former Dean Mustafa Lokhandwala and Wife Establish College's First Professorship in Health Outcomes and Policy

2020 Headlines

2 Ph.D. Students Awarded AMCP Nexus Meeting Medals for Research

Ph.D. Students Earn AACR Scholar-in-Training Awards for Cancer Disparities Research

Aparasu Receives $450K NIA Grant to Study Dementia Drug Prescribing Cascade in Alzheimer's Disease Patients

UHCOP Welcomes Sang Kyu Cho to Pharmaceutical Health Outcomes and Policy Faculty

STEM Advocate, UH Alumnus and Former NASA Astronaut Harris Keynote Speaker at SPAC 2020

2019 Headlines

ISPOR 2019 Student & Faculty Presentations (.pdf)

4 PHOP Students Earn Travel Awards to Present at ISPOR 2019

Thornton, Premier Center Receives $3.34M Grant for Prescription Misuse Prevention

Medication Safety Symposium Highlights Deprescribing, Monitoring Programs

Aparasu Receives Fulbright Specialist Assignment to Indonesian University

Inside Outcomes Newsletter 2019 (.pdf)

2018 Headlines

Ph.D. Students Earn Internships in Pharmaceutical/Health Care Industry, Government

PHOP Graduate, Candidate Among 'Best Poster' Finalists at ISPOR

ISPOR Student & Faculty Presentations (.pdf)

Houston Medication Safety Symposium Program (.pdf)

Multidisciplinary Researchers, Practitioners Discuss Opioids, Medication Burden at Symposium

Alumnus Claims Top Abstract Medal, Podium Presentation Invite at AMCP Meeting

Inside Outcomes Newsletter 2018 (.pdf)

2017 Headlines

UHCOP Team Wins Historic Repeat Win in ISPOR Student Research Competition

PHOP Student, Faculty and Alumni Presentations at ISPOR 2017 Boston (.pdf)

Research Presentations Recognized at Houston Medication Safety Symposium

April 28 Houston Medication Safety Symposium Tackles Opioid Abuse, High Risk Drugs in Older Adults

Study of Prescription Drug Monitoring Program Suggests Abuse Going Underreported

Research Team Earns $207K Grant for Study of Anticoagulants, Antiarrhythmia Drugs in Afib

PHOP Alumna Ferries Wins Humana's Jim Bloem Award

2016 Headlines

PHOP Research on Parental Stress Among ISPOR European Congress Poster Finalists

Inside Outcomes PHOP Newsletter Summer 2016 (.pdf)

Sanofi Backs Fleming's Prescriber Webinar to Boost Statin Guidelines Adoption, Adherence

Regeneron Funds Abughosh Study on Motivational Interviewing, Statin Adherence

Graduate Students Land Internships in Pharmaceutical, Consulting Sectors

PHOP Team Takes Research Competition Trophy at ISPOR International Meeting

4 PHOP Projects Among ISPOR Research Posters Finalists

PHOP Presentations at ISPOR Interational Meeting 2016 (.pdf)

PHOP Doctoral Candidate Inducted into Phi Kappa Phi Honor Society

Project on COPD Patients in Medicare Gap Strikes Gold at AMCP Meeting

Aparasu Tapped for Fulbright Specialist Roster

(PDF links requires Adobe Reader; click here for free download.)