Are data arising from economic evaluation truly the solution to better decision making: a more global perspective

Summary

It is now over 10 years since economic evaluation was used in some countries as part of the formal requirement in the process of pricing, reimbursement and formulary consideration for new pharmaceuticals and devices. Despite the advancement seen over the years, there is still doubt regarding the true value of data generated from pharmacoeconomic studies due to factors such as generalisability of data, design of studies, transparency of models, and barriers in their final application. In addition, results and conclusions from studies performed in western countries are often referred to as the standard and even used as a basis in decision making in other developing countries. In the face of all these uncertainties, what sort of attitude should researchers in this field adopt and what is likely to happen in the next decade that will exert a significant influence? This editorial attempts to summarise these problems and also point out the areas that have not been adequately addressed over the years with a view to stimulating some discussion and input from those who are interested in health economics and have contributed to its development.