Health Technology Assessment

*Please note that applicants to this short course should go via King's Apply (click red 'Apply' button on the right of this page) and select the following programme*: 

Pharmaceutical Medicine Non-Award (Part-time)

Module code 7MRU0015

Nowadays medical science alone is not sufficient to secure broad adoption of an innovative medical product. Undoubtedly, we need products that demonstrate compelling health benefits; but how valuable will these be if patients cannot have access to therapeutic innovations?

This module will give students an understanding of today’s complex environments which shape patient access. Two critical concepts will be explored: value and access.

Beyond health benefits, the value of a pharmaceutical may also embed other patient benefits (e.g. quality of life), economic arguments (e.g. a faster and more cost-effective treatment) and broader societal considerations such as access to other forms of healthcare and productivity. Access to healthcare innovation in Europe is guided by public decision makers, who come into play after the regulatory authorities have granted the marketing authorisation. One key element of patient access is to decide on whether the product is worth public funding (reimbursement). The course will cover key considerations for reimbursement and clarify the link between value and access (a process known as “Health Technology Assessment”, or HTA).

This module aims to give students:

• An understanding of the value of pharmaceuticals beyond direct medical considerations
• The ability to link value and access in various models of healthcare systems
• Skills to use some of the tools used by healthcare decision makers to link value and access as part of the Health Technology Assessment

By the end of this module students will be able to:

1. Understand the underlying forces driving health products demand and supply
2. Describe various healthcare systems and their flows of funds
3. Define the various dimensions grounding the value of a pharmaceutical
4. Understand the place of the economic arguments when deciding on patient access (basis of pharmacoeconomics and HEOR)
5. Understand how to link science, patient benefits, societal value, economics (including price), and patient access in the Health Technology Assessment exercise.

Minimum entry requirements are either a medical degree (such as an MBBS) or a 2:1 first degree in pharmacy, pharmacology, biology, biochemistry, chemistry or related subject.