PHARMACEUTICAL ECONOMICS & HEALTH POLICY SECTION

This section features articles on economic evaluation, health outcomes, and policy issues related to drug therapy. Our agenda includes seeking high-quality research manuscripts in each of these broad areas. Because of the rapid publication process, time-sensitive topics are of particular interest. All manuscripts are peer reviewed for relevance, technical accuracy, clarity, and objectivity. Specific research topics that are being targeted for publication include but are not limited to:

Economic Evaluation

Rigorous claims data analyses within a theoretical background

Validations and applications of economic models

Methodologic advancements (eg, productivity measurement)

Impact of compliance on cost-effectiveness

Critical assessments of economic evaluations within therapeutic classes

Health Outcomes

Development and validation of health outcomes assessment tools in the evaluation of pharmaceutical interventions

Longitudinal analyses of health-related quality-of-life assessments in pharmaceutical trials

Studies addressing the interface between pharmacoeconomic evaluation and quality-of-life assessment

Cost-effectiveness analysis

Policy

Evaluations of utilization-management strategies (eg, formularies, 3-tier copays)

Evaluations of clinical programs (eg, compliance, therapeutic switching)

Evaluations of the impact of direct-to-consumer advertising

Studies that provide insight into physician prescribing behaviors

Evaluations of physician prescribing patterns in large, diverse populations

Examinations of the cost of noncompliance

Examinations of the pharmaceutical benefits management industry