Pharmaceutical services in the United States Public Health Service

Abstract

The status of pharmaceutical services in the United States Public Health Service (PHS) is described. The PHS has been the principal health agency of the United States for nearly 200 years, directing its resources to meeting the nation's changing health needs. Pharmacists are assigned to all eight operating divisions of the PHS (a major component of the Department of Health and Human Services), as well as other federal agencies and programs. Pharmacists assigned to the Indian Health Service, the National Institutes of Health, the United States Coast Guard, the Immigration and Naturalization Service, the Federal Bureau of Prisons, and Saint Elizabeths Hospital provide pharmaceutical services to a broad range of patients and settings. Some PHS pharmacists are involved in bringing new drugs to market in the Food and Drug Administration, participating in research protocols at the National Institutes of Health, and helping the underserved populations through the programs of the Health Resources and Services Administration. Still other PHS pharmacists provide leadership and program management at the Agency for Health Care Policy and Research, the Agency for Toxic Substances and Disease Registry, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration, and the Health Care Financing Administration. Pharmacists in the PHS work in a broad array of settings, in many cases providing care for the underserved.