E-drug: Short course in pharmacoeconomics and drug selection
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COURSE ANNOUNCEMENT
PHARMACOECONOMICS:EVIDENCE, MONEY AND DRUG SELECTION
April 21, 2003 to May 1, 2003
Bangkok, Thailand
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The 6th international short course on the use of pharmacoeconomics in
drug selection, developed under the auspices of WHO/EDM, will be held in
Bangkok, Thailand from April 21, 2003 to May 1, 2003. The aim of the
programme is to provide participants with an understanding of the
principles and techniques of pharmacoeconomics, and how these tools can
be used in making decisions about selecting and purchasing
pharmaceuticals for use in health care systems.
The course has been developed by an international consortium, including
departments of clinical pharmacology and public health at the
Universities of Newcastle (Australia), Sydney, and Birmingham (UK), in
collaboration with WHO/EDM. The programme in Thailand will be provided
by these groups and hosted by Chulalongkorn University. The confirmed
faculty include Suzanne Hill, Rod Taylor, Glenn Salkeld and staff from
WHO.
The course is problem-based, facilitated by international and national
experts. It provides participants with the opportunity to work in small
groups, learning about and using pharmacoeconomic techniques to address
common problems in selecting drugs for national and sub-national
formularies. Participants should therefore be working in some aspect of
the academic or public health sector, and have some responsibility,
either at managerial level or "hands on" level, for selection of
pharmaceuticals for essential drugs lists or hospital formularies.
Participants should also have a basic understanding of the principles of
assessing and evaluating data for drug selection.
COURSE AIMS AND OBJECTIVES
The overall aim of the course is to develop students' knowledge and
skills of economic evaluation and evidence-based medicine as an aid to
pricing and purchasing decisions for medicines. Students will be
introduced to the principles and methods of pharmacoeconomics and
develop skills in the application of those principles to key issues
surrounding the selection of drugs. Emphasis will be placed on learning
by case study analysis and problem solving.
SPECIFIC OBJECTIVES
- To identify and describe the kind of choices facing
national/state/provincial governments or organisations in
making choices about purchasing medicines;
- To provide a conceptual and analytical framework (both economic
and clinical) in which drug selection problems can be analysed;
- To appreciate the relevance of fundamental economic concepts,
such as 'opportunity cost' and 'the margin' to drug purchasing
decisions;
- To appreciate the usefulness of an evidence-based approach to
economic evaluation;
- To develop practical skills which will enable the participant to
appraise critically economic evaluations of pharmaceuticals;
- To develop an understanding of how the results of economic
evaluations are dependent on the value judgements made; and
- To develop an understanding of the relationship between
evaluation and health policy.
BY THE END OF THE COURSE REGISTRANTS WILL BE ABLE TO:
- Perform a basic pharmacoeconomic evaluation
- Appraise critically an economic evaluation which would inform
drug purchasing decisions and subsequent price negotiations
TEACHING STYLE
- The course uses a problem-based teaching approach
- Participants will work in groups and will be given a number of
different tasks. The groups will be required to make decisions based on
the effectiveness, safety and cost of the drugs.
KEY LEARNING OBJECTIVES
- To introduce participants to the basic concepts of decision-making
- To enable participants to perform a basic PE evaluation
- To enable participants to perform a basic assessment of the
quality of clinical trial data
- To demonstrate how cost-effectiveness ratios can change for
different indications
- To contextualise the role of PE evaluation in setting and managing
prices
- To enable participants to utilise PE evaluations in price
negotiations
- To introduce participants to the principles of appraisal applied in
the assessment of pharmacoeconomic evaluations
- To enable participants to perform a review/appraisal of a PE
assessment
- To introduce participants to basic principles of PE modelling
- To enable participants to apply their PE skills in practice, and
- To contextualise the operational relevance of PE evaluations in
health systems
COURSE DETAILS:
Venue: Pathumwan Princess Hotel
Fees: $US2,500 [dual occupancy]
$US2,700 [single occupancy]
The fee covers tuition and all course materials, accommodation,
breakfast and lunch, and travel between venues, and attendance at the
opening and closing dinners. Participants must arrange their own
sponsorship.
The course fee does not include travel costs, insurances or incidental
expenses.
Language: English
The number of participants will be limited to 40
For an application form please contact:
Pharmacoeconomics Course Secretariat
Discipline of Clinical Pharmacology
5th Floor, Clinical Sciences Building
Newcastle Mater Hospital
Waratah NSW 2298
AUSTRALIA
Email: mannix@mail.newcastle.edu.au
Fax: +61 2 4960 2088
Further information about the course can be obtained from:
Suzanne Hill
WHO Collaborating Centre for Training in Pharmacotherapy &
Rational Drug Use
University of Newcastle, Australia
Email: hillsu@mail.newcastle.edu.au
Tel: +61 2 49211856
Fax: +61 2 49602088
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David Newby B.Pharm PhD
Lecturer
Clinical Pharmacology
School of Medical Practice and Population Health
Faculty of Health
The University of Newcastle
Postal address:
Clinical Pharmacology
Newcastle Mater Hospital
Edith St, Waratah, NSW 2298
Tel: +61 2 49211292
Fax: +61 2 49602088
Mobile: 0411126333
David Newby <mddan@cc.newcastle.edu.au>
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