Effectiveness of Pharmacoeconomic and Outcomes Research Fellowship Programs Within the United States

Pharmacoeconomic/outcomes research (PE/OR) fellowships have been in existence for more than 10 years in response to the rising demand for expertise in economic evaluation.1-4 The first fellowship in PE/OR began in 19891; however, finding detailed information about these programs is difficult for several reasons. First, quantifying PE/OR programs is a challenge due to their increasing number in the last few years. In addition, a comprehensive list of these programs or a central location in which to retrieve information is not readily available. Recently, the International Society for Pharmacoeconomics and Outcomes Research (ISPOR) and the American College of Clinical Pharmacy (ACCP) responded to this need through the development of fellowship directories.5,6 Based on these directories, there were 41 fellowship positions available in 2001. Moreover, the ACCP and ISPOR have developed guidelines for PE/OR fellowships that define the structure and process of these programs in order to ensure that fellows acquire a standard set of PE/OR research skills and experiences.1,7 There is a paucity of information about the organizational features of PE/OR fellowship programs8; however, 2 recent studies that surveyed fellows and preceptors provided insight regarding the structure and process of current PE programs.9,10 According to these studies, a common organizational and educational profile can be described for PE/OR programs. The “basic” PE/OR program is 2 years in length, sponsored by the pharmaceutical industry, and conducted primarily in academic and pharmaceutical industry settings. The PE/OR fellowships provide trainees with a variety of research skills and exposure to various PE/OR research designs and analyses. In addition, current PE/OR programs appear to be adhering to the existing ACCP and ISPOR guidelines for PE/OR fellowships.9 Judging the structures and processes may be a useful method of assessing the effectiveness of PE/OR fellowships11; however, the ultimate indicator of the effectiveness of PE/OR programs are the outcomes of these programs, which to date have not been defined.8 Therefore, the purpose of this investigation was (1) to develop outcome measures for PE/OR fellowship programs in the United States, and (2) to use these outcome measures as a means of evaluating their effectiveness. American Journal of Pharmaceutical Education 2004; 68 (3) Article 62.