Asthma is a chronic condition with characteristics that make it an ideal target for interventions used within disease state management in managed care settings. It affects a substantial population of patients and imposes an increasingly significant global societal burden. Despite the...

Fluoxetine continues to be remarkably successful; greater volumes of this drug are sold than for any other antidepressant in the world. Prozac(R) has also become a household name. In this article we examine the circumstances that surround this success, and the evidence base that supports it....

We reviewed the literature on the efficacy and effectiveness of beta-blocker therapy and examined the economic consequences of under-utilisation. Despite the literature documenting the value of beta-blockers, the therapy is not prescribed at the appropriate rates. Approximately half of acute...

Objective: To assess the goals, strategic focus, structure, capabilities, activities and effectiveness of health economics (HE) departments in the Canadian pharmaceutical industry, to examine how these have evolved, and the implications of HE in the future of the pharmaceutical industry. Design...

The current divisions in managing prescribing between primary and secondary care in the UK arise from separate budgetary arrangements. These divisions are neither sensible, organisationally efficient nor cost effective. Transition of patients across the interface of primary and secondary care...

Objective: To present a brief synopsis of trends in the number of prescriptions and retail costs of outpatient drugs dispensed in the US between 1998 and 2003. Methods: Data were extracted from IMS Health, the National Prescription Audit Plus(TM) and the National Disease and Therapeutic...

Objective: Atrial fibrillation (AF) represents a significant burden on healthcare resources. This study aimed to (i) identify key determinants for treatment choices in AF; (ii) analyze impacts of AF treatment on patient satisfaction and compliance; and (iii) analyze impacts of AF treatment on...

Objective: To examine the different combinations of health insurance and types of payments, and their influence on physicians' prescribing of antihypertensive drug therapy. Design: The study was based on information collected in physicians' practices, obtained from medical records and physician...

An electronic prescription processing option for electronic medical records can assist medical practitioners in the rapid selection, decision-making, processing and recording of individual prescriptions during encounters with patients in the consultation room or for repeat prescriptions. The...