Emerging Health Economics and Outcomes Research in the Asia-Pacific Region

Abstract

This issue of Value in Health presents selected articles from the ISPOR Second Asia Pacific Conference held in Shanghai, March 2006. Under the leadership of ISPOR and the ISPOR Asian Consortium, the ISPOR AsiaPacific Conference is held every two years in Asia with a twofold mission: to help develop knowledge and capacity for health economics and outcomes research (HE/OR) in Asia; and to promote the use of HE/OR in policymaking processes in Asia, with the goal of improving efficiency in the allocation of resources. With “Improving Evidence and Outcomes in Health Care Decision-Making” as the theme, the Second ISPOR Asia-Pacific Conference was well received, achieving an unprecedented level of participation from the Asian communities. All articles included in this issue underwent the usual anonymous process of peer review. The Asia-Pacific is a very significant region in the world, with the fastest growth among economies in general and among pharmaceutical markets in particular. It is also arguably the most diverse region in the world—home to long cultural traditions and all the world’s major religions, as well as countries that span the gamut from among the wealthiest to the poorest, the largest to among the smallest, and a wide array of political systems. Health-care systems in the region are very dynamic and diverse as well. Following Australia where HE/OR data are required for national policy setting, countries such as Japan and South Korea have already moved into the initial phase to recommend the use of HE/OR data for drug formulary policymaking, and others suchasChinahaveprofessionalorganizationsbeginning to draft pharmaceutical economics guidelines. In the meantime, most Asia-Pacific countries also confront challenges common to countries around the globe: safeguarding public health, expanding healthcare coverage and improving quality while controlling costs, fostering value for money, and finding an appropriate balance of government and market roles in the health sector. To address these challenges, researchers and policymakers alike will no doubt find it important to increase the analytic and policy relevance of economic analysis [1]. In particular, pharmaceuticals and their regulation play an increasingly important and often contentious role in the health-care systems of the Asia-Pacific [2]. Countries such as China, Thailand, and Pakistan have extraordinarily high drug spending as a percentage of total health spending, leading to drug cost control often as a major target when reforming policy. For example, during the current health-care reform process in China, much debate has been focused on the impact of pricing control and separating prescribing and dispensing functions. Major changes in the policy setting may well rewrite the professional roles of physicians and pharmacists, with modifications to accommodate cultural norms and strong economic interests. India and several other countries host thriving domestic pharmaceutical industries with global importance, although controversy surrounds intellectual property rights, trade (WTO, TRIPS), and pharmaceutical pricing within bilateral trade agreements (Australia-US, Republic of Korea-US). Nations throughout the region struggle with appropriate regulation of drugs, from the ethics of clinical trials to patents, evidence-based purchasing (e.g., Australia’s Pharmaceuticals Benefit Scheme), and direct-to-consumer advertising. Deeply rooted traditions of indigenous medicine are modernizing and integrating into broader health-care systems. Improving access, effective prescribing and appropriate use of medications will be central to controlling infectious diseases, both old and emerging; protecting the global public good of anti-microbial effectiveness; and treating the growing burden of chronic diseases for the aging populations of the Asia-Pacific [2]. There are 20 articles and four policy briefing notes in this special supplement. The 20 articles are organized under four sections: 1) economic evaluation which addresses cost-effectiveness of alternative treatment or use of medications for illness such as diabetes and other chronic illnesses; 2) cost analysis that includes estimation of direct illness treatment costs or intangible costs of illness conditions; 3) health conditions or health-related quality of life among various Asian population; and 4) policy review articles that provide drug pricing, drug safety, and pharmacoeconomics research in the Asian-Pacific Region. These articles represent an important milestone in the evolution of health economics and outcomes This article was originally published online April 2, 2008 under the incorrect title, “Promoting Emerging Health Economics and Pharmaceutical Economics Outcomes Research in the AsiaPacific Region”.