title: The role of pharmacoeconomic modeling in evidence-based and value-based formulary guidelines.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To review evidence-based medicine (EBM) in the context of pharmacoeconomic (PE) decision making by health care organizations.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Pharmacoeconomics involves processes similar to EBM, but it deals with decisions on the population rather than the patient level. The overall goal of PE is to provide the most efficient use of resources, taking into account both the cost and the value derived from a given technology. These evaluations assist health care decision making because both cost and effectiveness are considered. New therapies are increasingly complex in terms of administration, effects, and cost. As a result, PE models are likely to become more complex as well. At present, there is no standard threshold for what constitutes cost-effective therapy, so each organization is likely to have its own criterion for acceptance.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Clinical trial results define the safety and efficacy of therapy but cannot determine whether a given technology represents a good buy for a specific organization. This requires PE analysis.
authors.affiliation: University of Arizona College of Pharmacy,Tucson, AZ 85721, USA. malone@pharmacy.arizona.edu
authors.forename: Daniel C
authors.initials: DC
authors.lastname: Malone
mesh_terms: D003362:Cost-Benefit Analysis; D003657:Decision Making; D017850:Economics, Pharmaceutical; D019317:Evidence-Based Medicine; D005569:Formularies as Topic; D006801:Humans; D016032:Randomized Controlled Trials as Topic