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Using Pharmacoepidemiologic Studies to Inform Drug Policy and Spending: A Health Economics Perspective

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Healthcare Policy, Innovation and Digitalization

Abstract

Healthcare resource allocation today is more difficult than ever. The asymmetry between available resources and health needs requires methodologically sound and transparent decision-making processes for resource allocation. Clinical effectiveness and cost-effectiveness of health technologies are major determinants of pricing and reimbursement decisions—however, the above must be demonstrated both in the controlled and in the real-world setting. Pharmacoepidemiology can play a major role in evidence-informed pharmaceutical policy decisions, determining what “actually works” in real-life conditions. We discuss the role of pharmacoepidemiology in the decision-making context of pharmaceutical policy and, in specific, its role in the resource allocation framework, focusing on its impact on Health Technology Assessment, the efficiency of spending, and handling of uncertainty in coverage decisions, the latter achieved through risk-sharing schemes.

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Zisis, K., Athanasakis, K., Souliotis, K. (2023). Using Pharmacoepidemiologic Studies to Inform Drug Policy and Spending: A Health Economics Perspective. In: Çetin, E., Özen, H. (eds) Healthcare Policy, Innovation and Digitalization. Accounting, Finance, Sustainability, Governance & Fraud: Theory and Application. Springer, Singapore. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-981-99-5964-8_3

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