M3. Economía y Políticas de Reembolso del Medicamento. Modalidad online (edición en inglés)

La información correspondiente a la próxima edición del programa se actualizará próximamente.

The International Master in Health Economics and Pharmaeconomics (online) (MESIOL) is divided in eight modules; the third one is oriented to introduce the basic concepts of the master.

The basic aim of this module is to enable the participant to analyse the justification for and effectiveness of the main policies for the regulation and funding of pharmaceuticals in a health system.

• To interpret and analyse the level and trend of spending and prices of drugs funded by an insuring body, and to interpret the distinctive characteristics of the pharmaceutical market and its implications for pharmaceutical financing.
• To get to know and evaluate basic economic instruments for choosing and analysing drug management and funding policies, with particular emphasis on those that involve the application of co-payment (whereby the patient shares the cost of the drug).
• To analyse the advantages and disadvantages of the various systems of drug price fixing and regulation that are applied in the compared system.
• To analyse the main economic effects of patents, as the principal barrier to competition in the pharmaceutical market, and the economic effects of the main policies aimed at encouraging competition in this market (generic policies and reference pricing).

This distance learning programme is based on the wide experience in on-site academic education provided by 13 editions of the Master's Degree in Health Economics and Health Care Management given at Pompeu Fabra University (UPF), which in its early years was taught in conjunction with the University of Barcelona. This international distance learning programme also takes advantage of the experience provided by the various editions of the Spanish online course taught since 2002.

The materials for the distance modules have been prepared by researchers of renowned international prestige working at the UPF Research Centre on Economics and Health (CRES) and teaching staff of the Department of Economics and Business and the Department of Health Sciences of Pompeu Fabra University (Barcelona, Spain), together with other collaborators, all with proven academic and professional experience. The content of the various courses combines the explanation of the methodological foundations with the use of the instruments, based on the publications of the faculty and collaborators and the discussion of case studies taken from the specialized literature.

UPF and the Continuing Education Institute (IDEC) of Pompeu Fabra University provide all the necessary information technology infrastructure and other resources for the smooth running of the course. Taking advantage of the new possibilities offered by the information technologies, this course will be taught entirely online, combining the use of web technology, hypertexts and e-mail to allow continual teacher/participant and participant/teacher interaction.

This programme is aimed at professionals in the health sector and the pharmaceutical sector who cannot afford the time to attend an on-site course, or who prefer to work primarily through virtual communication. This International Master's Degree in Health Economics and Pharmacoeconomics meets the needs and requirements both of experienced professionals and of recent graduates who wish to increase their knowledge of these areas.

The programme is addressed to professionals who, wherever in the world they live, wish to follow a distance course with the characteristics we have outlined above. It is conducted entirely online, and at no time it is necessary to attend face-to-face sessions. The international edition of this programme is conducted entirely in English.

In particular, the programme is designed to complement the training of professionals with management responsibilities and graduates interested in acquiring the necessary skills to take on such responsibilities in:

• Hospitals, clinical laboratories and public and private health centres.
• Public bodies responsible for managing and/or funding pharmaceuticals and health services.
• Private insurance companies.
• Pharmaceutical companies and companies related to the distribution of pharmaceuticals.
• Pharmaceutical and health service management training centres.
• Consultancy and advisory firms related to the health sector, etc.

To date, the Spanish and the International edition of this online training programme has been followed by over 350 participants in several European, African and Latin-American countries.