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PUBLIC HEALTH SERVICE OVERVIEW |
| Since its creation in 1798, the U.S. Public Health Service (PHS) has continually directed its resources to meet the changing needs of the Nation. Two centuries ago the focus was the Merchant Marines; in the 1800s, arriving immigrants; in the early 1900s, contagious disease. Today, professionals in more than a hundred different disciplines work in the PHS, charged with the complex task of protecting the Nation's health. The PHS is made up of the Office of Public Health and Science and nine operating divisions: |
| AHRQ | Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality Policy and Research |
| ATSDR | Agency for Toxic Substance and Disease Registry |
| CDC | Centers for Disease Control and Prevention |
| FDA | Food and Drug Administration |
| HRSA | Health Resources and Services Administration |
| IHS | Indian Health Service |
| NIH | National Institutes of Health |
| PSC | Program Support Center |
| SAMHSA | Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration |
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In addition, commissioned officers are also assigned to the following agencies/programs: |
| BOP | Federal Bureau of Prisons |
| EPA | Environmental Protection Agency |
| HCFA | Health Care Financing Administration |
| INS | Immigration and Naturalization Service |
| USCG | U.S. Coast Guard |
| Pharmacists have played a vital role in the PHS over the last 100 years. While
most
pharmacists
have been clinicians, many have also served in regulatory, administrative or research roles.
Pharmacists serve
in either the PHS Commissioned Corps, a Uniformed Service, or the Federal Civil
Service. As of
January 1998 there were 744 pharmacists in the PHS Commissioned Corps and over
200 in Civil
Service. Today the greatest need is for clinical pharmacists to work with medically underserved populations. Most PHS pharmacists begin their careers in a clinical setting, advancing to senior clinical positions or moving to regulatory affairs, research, or administration. The PHS hires both Bachelor of Science and Doctor of Pharmacy graduates. Many regulatory, research, and administrative positions require an advanced degree. |
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