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Lou Garrison is Professor and Associate Director in the Pharmaceutical Outcomes Research and Policy Program, Department of Pharmacy, at the University of Washington in Seattle. His recent research focuses on designing and conducting economic and outcomes research evaluations of pharmaceutical, biotechnology, and diagnostic products, and on policy issues related to pricing and reimbursement, regulatory risk-benefit analysis, and pharmacogenetics.
Prior to joining UW in 2004, Dr. Garrison was Vice President of Health Economics and Strategic Pricing in Roche Pharmaceuticals for five years, working and living in Basel, Switzerland, for the final 2½ years. In 12 years at Roche, he eventually directed a department of over 20 staff members charged with developing and implementing economic and quality-of-life strategies to support global pricing, reimbursement, and market access. Before joining the pharmaceutical industry in 1992, Dr. Garrison was Director of the Project HOPE Center for Health Affairs in Maryland, where he conducted numerous domestic and international health policy projects, including health system reform studies and training in Poland and Jamaica.
Dr. Garrison has been a member of ISPOR since 1995, and has served in many capacities, including co-chair of the Real World Data Task Force, participant in leadership retreats, and workgroup leader on the Drug Cost Task Force. He has also served as a member of the ISPOR Institutional Council, PhRMA’s Health Outcomes Committee, and the IFPMA’s Health Economics Advisory Group. Most recently, he has been an advisor to ISPOR’s Latin American expansion.
Dr. Garrison earned his Ph.D. in economics at Stanford University in 1981. Over his 28-year career, he has made numerous presentations at professional meetings, and provided pharmacoeconomic training both for those within the pharmaceutical industry and outside, including groups as diverse as payers in South Africa and Brazil. He has authored or co-authored over 75 publications and reports.
The next two years are critical for achieving the ISPOR 2010 vision. My first priority as a Board member would be to support ongoing efforts to complete the actions that the Board has defined for achieving these objectives: 1) reaching out to decision-makers, 2) supporting local chapter training and educational activities, 3) strengthening regional entities, 4) updating best research and methodological practices, and 5) increasing the participation of the device, diagnostic, and biotechnology sectors
My experience in a variety of settings—pharmaceutical industry, nonprofit health policy research, academia, and consulting—and the breadth of issues I have addressed put me in a good position to serve these objectives. I have interacted with policymakers both in the US and EU on technology assessment and health reform issues. While at Roche, I established a global health economics network of company outcomes researchers from all regions of the world. More recently, I have served as an advisor in establishing the Latin American consortium and first regional conference. As co-chair of ISPOR’s Real World Data Task Force, I became keenly aware of the growing need to use observational data after launch to measure the actual impact of new technologies. I have also evaluated device, diagnostic, and biotechnology products.
Globalization is now a fact of life, and it is important for ISPOR to continue its highly successful efforts to expand its global presence. Innovative health technologies are increasingly being tested and used in a global market. This expansion creates not only the potential for earlier and wider dissemination of these advances, but also a broader base for financing R&D. In my view, three areas that deserve greater attention are applying pharmacoeconomics to global health issues, to analyzing post-launch data, and to understanding decision makers’ incentives.
I am honored to be nominated to serve on the ISPOR Board of Directors, and I would welcome the opportunities and challenges to build further on the solid foundation and excellent reputation that ISPOR has established.
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