The health care and pharmacy environments have changed substantially since the first edition of this book. Developments include the new Medicare prescription benefit, a growing emphasis on medication safety, and the dynamic technology driving safety in organized health care settings. This second edition explores all of these changes that have affected the field of pharmacy in recent years. Expanding coverage throughout, the text features a new chapter on the role of the pharmacist in today's health care delivery system, as well as new material on support personnel, the consolidation of ambulatory pharmacy, and current controversies within the pharmaceutical industry.