January 26, 2021
The UNC Eshelman School of Pharmacy will offer a new Fall 2021 course for undergraduates titled, Pharmaceuticals: Ethical and Social Issues.
This introductory course serves to develop a foundation in understanding the breadth and depth of ethical and social issues surrounding pharmaceutical development and use in the United States and globally.
“This course is designed to challenge students’ perceptions of pharmaceuticals and open their eyes to the ethical and social issues surrounding pharmaceutical development and use in our country and abroad,” said Betsy Sleath, Ph.D., one of the course designers.
This is a seminar-based course where students will have the opportunity to discuss and debate critical issues surrounding pharmaceutical development and use. Speakers will come from different research disciplines to lead discussions of pressing ethical and social issues.
Speaker topics range from the United States Food and Drug Administration, diversity in clinical trials, and personalized medicine, to medical marijuana, reproductive health and the opioid epidemic in the U.S.
“We hope this course will inspire some undergraduate students to consider a career in pharmacy or pharmaceuticals,” Sleath said.
Throughout the semester, students will complete three 2-page summary and commentary papers on an issue of relevance to pharmaceutical use and development. Students will write one paper for each of the three theme areas of the class. Participants will also identify a topic from a current online news source, summarize the nature of the issue relevant to pharmaceutical development and use, and list current and proposed ways to address the issue.
For more information about the course, visit https://catalog.unc.edu/courses/phcy or contact Delesha Carpenter at dmcarpenter@unc.edu.