title: Principles of economics crucial to pharmacy students' understanding of the prescription drug market.
abstract: Many pharmacy schools have increased the amount of economics coursework to which pharmacy students are exposed in their prepharmacy and pharmacy curriculums. Students obtain competencies aimed at understanding the basic concepts of microeconomic theory, such as supply and demand. However, pharmacy students often have trouble applying these principles to real world pharmaceuticals or healthcare markets. Our objective is to make economics more relevant for pharmacy students. Specifically, we detail and provide pharmacy-relevant examples of the effects of monopoly power, barriers to marketplace entry, regulatory environment, third party insurance, information asymmetry and unanticipated changes in the marketplace on the supply and demand for pharmaceuticals and healthcare services.
authors.affiliation: Pharmaceutical Health Services Research Department, University of Maryland School of Pharmacy, 220 Arch Street, 12th Floor, Room 01-220, Baltimore, Maryland 21201, USA. gratting@rx.umaryland.edu
authors.forename: Gail B
authors.initials: GB
authors.lastname: Rattinger
authors.forename: Rahul
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Jain
authors.forename: Jing
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Ju
authors.forename: C Daniel
authors.initials: CD
authors.lastname: Mullins
mesh_terms: D032882:Comprehension; D003479:Curriculum; D016527:Drug Costs; D004345:Drug Industry / Q000191:economics* / Q000331:legislation & jurisprudence; D011307:Drug Prescriptions / Q000191:economics*; D004335:Drug and Narcotic Control; D017850:Economics, Pharmaceutical; D004512:Education, Pharmacy; D033161:Government Regulation; D019981:Health Care Sector / Q000331:legislation & jurisprudence; D006291:Health Policy; D006301:Health Services Needs and Demand / Q000191:economics; D006801:Humans; D007348:Insurance, Health / Q000191:economics; D007349:Insurance, Health, Reimbursement; D007356:Insurance, Pharmaceutical Services / Q000191:economics; D013339:Students, Pharmacy; D014481:United States