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OVERVIEW
Marilyn Dix Smith PhD
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ISPOR Executive Director
Health care administrators, policy makers, and practitioners must balance the needs and desires of individual patients with the needs and desires of society at large, realizing that not all needs and desires can be met. Information comparing the expected gains of a medical intervention against the expected cost of that intervention versus other health care interventions are, many times, difficult to interpret or compare.
The mission of the International Society for Pharmacoeconomics and Outcomes Research is to
translate pharmacoeconomics and outcomes research into practice to ensure that society allocates scarce health care resources wisely, fairly, and efficiently. Toward this mission, ISPOR, supported by grants from theith the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, Agency for Health Care Policy and Research, and the Health Outcomes Work Group of the
Pharmaceutical Research and Manufacturers of America, convened an Advisory Panel Meeting and Conference on Pharmacoeconomic Issues, February, 1998. This conference provided a forum for researchers and practitioners to communicate needs and concerns as consensus is developed on methodology, interpretation, and use
of pharmacoeconomic information.
The objective of this interdisciplinary conference was to identify the issues in conducting pharmacoeconomic studies, interpreting the results of these studies, and using pharmacoeconomic information in health care decisions. The specific goals of the conference were to:
- identify key contentious methodology issues in conducting health care economic evaluations with clinical studies
- identify key contentious methodology issues in conducting health care economic evaluations using
modeling studies
- identify key contentious methodology issues in conducting health care economic evaluations using databases
- determine the education and skills needed for conducting and/or using pharmacoeconomic evaluations in health care decisions
- identify the issues in application of economic evaluations in health care intervention protocol
development, formulary decisions, and practice guideline development and use
- identify the issues in addressing bias, credibility, and quality of pharmacoeconomic evaluations
- identify the issues in communicating and reporting health care economic evaluation information
During this conference, sixty-one pharmacoeconomics and outcomes researchers, clinical practitioners and healthcare decision-makers in the United States met to develop consensus on issues relating to pharmacoeconomic and outcomes research evaluations and the use of these evaluations in healthcare decisions. The seven Advisory Panels, in closed sessions and then in open sessions with all Advisory Panelists, discussed and debated the issues.
In addition to the Advisory Panel co-chairs and members listed on each report, the following pharmacoeconomic researchers participated in the meeting:
- Daniel Mullins PhD, Assistant Professor, Center on Drugs & Policy, University of Maryland
- Tom Einarson PhD, Associate Professor, Faculty of Pharmacy, University of Toronto
- William McGhan PharmD PhD, Professor, University of the Sciences in Philadelphia
- James Smeeding RPh MBA, Director, Center for Pharmacoeconomic Studies, University of Texas
- Hugh Tilson MD, DrPH, Senior Medical Advisor, Glaxo Welcome
- Yen-Pin Chiang PhD, Agency for Healthcare Policy and Research (observer)
The specific objectives of each Advisory Panel and a report of each Panel's deliberation follow. Each Advisory Panel Report summarizes the scientific and historical context for each of the issues discussed, the numerous points of view expressed and the recommendations of each advisory panel for future directions of research and policy in the field of pharmacoeconomics. These reports are presented as working documents as a basis for standardization of the science
of outcomes research and healthcare economics, the development of generally accepted pharmacoeconomic policies and an agenda for future research activities.
EXPECTED OUTCOMES OF THIS CONFERENCE
The following are the expected outcomes (products) of this conference in addition to this report are:
- Publication: This report will be published in VALUE IN HEALTH, Journal of the International Society for Pharmacoeconomics and Outcomes Research
- Follow-up Activities: Conferences are planned based on the recommendations given in this report
- ISPOR Policy Statements: Specific policies of the International Society for Pharmacoeconomics and Outcomes Research will be developed from these recommendations ISPOR, in cooperation with other scientific and practitioner organizations and institutional organizations, will work to implement these policies. Examples of these organizations are the Health Outcomes Work Group of the Pharmaceutical Research
and Manufacturers of America and the Pharmaceutical Research Standards Committee of the American Managed Care Pharmacy Association.
- Agenda for Future Research Activities: The recommendations included in these reports are suggested to be the agenda for future research activities by the Agency for Health Care Policy and Research.
Advisory Reports Main Page
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