10 PHARMACOECONOMICS

Can we afford biotech drugs? The introduction of new, high-cost, biotech

products poses a very real challenge to already limited healthcare resources.

'There is a very real possibility that our current health care system may not be able to afford all oj the promising new biotech products that will reach the market in the next decade' states Dr NE Johnson from the Thomas Jefferson University Hospital, Philadelphia, USA.

With hundreds of biotech products currently under development and FDA plans to speed up the review process of biotech products awaiting approval, the market may soon be 'inundated' with such agents.

The impact of biotech products on hospital budgets can be better understood by forecasting the demand, calculating the estimated costs and developing guidelines for approved indications and use. Pharmacy and therapeutics committees are expected to play an increasing role in developing programmes to guide, control and monitor the use of these biotech products.

Johnson NE. Phannacoeconomics and biotech drugs. P&T 17: 1402·1412, Sep 1992 800162202

24 Oct 1992 INPHARMA~ ISSN 0156·2703192/1 024·001 0/$1.00~ Adl. IntematloD81 Ltd