Our Fuqua Health Sector Management (HSM) students have considerable expertise regarding the pharmaceutical industry, having taken HSM and other coursework, and having worked in the industry. People from outside the HSM program are sometimes admitted to the class, because they can enrich the class discussion with their expertise in science, medicine, law, etc. Such students might benefit from reviewing some of the optional background materials listed here.

Books

• Oxford Handbook of the Economics of the Biopharmaceutical Industry (Disclosure: I was a co-author in one of the chapters)
• Understanding Pharma: A Primer on How Pharmaceutical Companies Really Work by John J. Campbell (note that there might be a 2008 version available)
• There are many good Health Economics textbooks in the library
• I especially like Health Economics by Frank A. Sloan and Chee-Ruey Hsieh
• I also like A Health Economics Primer by Shirley Johnson-Lans

Internet Resources

• The Global Use of Medicines: Outlook Through 2015
  Source: IMS Health. Length: 27 pages
• Pharmaceutical industry profile
  Source: PhRMA (an industry trade group). Length: 60 pages
• Public Citizen and Knowledge Ecology International
  Watch dogs commenting on industry practice regarding marketing, safety, and intellectual property.
• Opportunities in Emerging Pharma Markets
  Source: Data Monitor. Length: 119 pages
• Medicare drug benefit fact sheet
  Source: Kaiser Family Foundation. Length: 2 pages

Please E-mail david.ridley((at))duke.edu if any of the links are broken.