Stuart O. Schweitzer - Böcker

Pharmaceuticals constitute a relatively small share of the total healthcare expenditure in most developed economies, and yet they play a critical role in the ongoing debate over how best to advance, improve, and afford healthcare. Despite this, and perhaps because of this, the industry has had, for many years, an outsized claim to fame and controversy, praise and criticisms, support and condemnation. Unfortunately, many participants in the debate do not fully understand the complexities of the industry and its role in the overall healthcare system. The analytical tools of economics provide a strong foundation for a better understanding of the dynamics of the pharmaceutical industry, its contribution to health and healthcare, its dual and often conflicting priorities of affordability and innovation, as well as the various private and public policy initiatives directed at the sector. This third edition of a uniquely comprehensive and balanced examination of the industry includes several new chapters on important topics such as the full-fledged generics sector, the arrival of biosimilars or generic biological drugs, the global consolidation of manufacturers, the evolving reimbursement landscape, and the emergence of the world's most populous nations, such as China, India, and Brazil, as both suppliers and consumers of pharmaceutical products. Other chapters have been fully rewritten or extensively updated, covering such important topics as the cost efficiency of research and development, pace of new innovations, economic evaluation and value-based pricing of drugs, and public and private interventions in the industry.

The pharmaceutical industry is praised as a world leader in high technology innovation and the creator of products that increase both longevity and quality of life for people throughout the world. At the same time, the industry is also criticized for its marketing and pricing practices and for its apparent anticompetitive responses to generic competition. Even its research and development priorities are criticized as being too closely driven by the goal of maximizing shareholder value, rather than the health of the public. Unfortunately, many of the critics of the industry fail to understand the complexities of the industry and its role in the nations healthcare system. This book uses the tools of economic analysis to explore the conflicting priorities and aims of the pharmaceutical industry, from both an American and worldwide perspective.This is the second edition of a uniquely comprehensive and balanced discussion of pharmaceutical policy issues. All the chapters of the former edition have been fully re-written and extensively updated.In addition, the book includes six new chapters on emerging topics such as the broadened role of FDA regulations and the increasing diversity of the industry. An entire chapter is devoted to the biotechnology industry and one to alternative medicines, often called "nutraceuticals." Another new chapter discusses segments of the industry that specialize in particular activities including generic drugs and drug delivery systems. The recent controversial expansion of Medicare to cover outpatient drugs is discussed in depth. The introduction is also updated to address the volatile pace of pharmaceutical innovation and how the pharmaceutical industry has responded to the emergence of managed care.

Pharmaceutical Economics begins with an investigation of the structure of the industry and its three main components: the research firms which produce innovative products; the generic drug industry and its expanding role; and the biotech industry, which is regarded as the future for pharmaceuticals. Further sections discuss topics including demand and incentives, pricing and regulation.Professor Comanor and Professor Schweitzer have selected the most significant articles by leading academics, in order to offer a blend of standard economic interpretations of pharmaceutical policy and important new topics including biosimilars, insurance coverage for pharmaceuticals, price-fixing and direct-to-consumer advertising.An authoritative new introduction by the editors provides an insightful guide to these important topics.

Many countries and regions are actively promoting high technology industries as a means of stimulating the economy. The authors point out that these efforts are not only encouraging economic development, but they also reduce an economy's vulnerability to the negative consequences of world trade. By weaving together the fields of health economics, industrial organisation and industrial development, this book describes the benefits of promoting a country's health industry as a way of stimulating its high-technology industrial capacity. The authors illustrate that the development of a country's health industry not only improves the country's health status, but also promotes an industry with relatively stable, high-wage employment, creates the potential for exporting goods and services, and produces scientific spillovers that will favourably impact other high-technology industries.Health Policy and High-Tech Industrial Development will be of great interest to health policy analysts by showing that health policies have broader implications than merely affecting health systems. Health economists should consider the advantages of viewing a country's health system not only as a unique industry that produces both health care and high-technology goods and services, but that also possesses the ability to stimulate development of a broader array of high-technology industries. Development and industrial economists and policymakers will also see the health sector from this different and innovative perspective.