Examines the evolution of the American healthcare delivery system from the early forms of organized institutional healthcare through the dynamic, and increasingly integrated, delivery systems of the present. Explores the interactions of regulatory, economic, political, and social aspects of the healthcare system with particular emphasis on pharmacy practices. Compares current policies and proposals for health reform and pharmacy benefit coverage. Analyzes the impact and consequences of national and international actions in one era on the structure, function, and outcomes of healthcare and professional pharmacy practice in later years. Major emphases include factors affecting American population health, health disparities, and strategies, including pharmacy/pharmacists, to improve the nation’s health.