The case looks at the development of the ethical pharmaceutical industry. The various forces affecting the discovery, development, production, distribution and marketing of prescription drugs are discussed in terms of their origins and recent developments. Readers are then invited to consider trends for the future.
The industry adopted a number of strategic responses to these challenges. Many pharmaceutical companies introduced “disease management” initiatives. Another common response was to conduct pharmacoeconomic evaluations, studies that aimed to demonstrate the added value offered by a new drug as a result of improved efficacy, safety, tolerability or ease of use.
