The Art of Pharmacoeconomics

Healthcare resources are scarce.

How much are you willing to pay to save a life or extend life for a year?

What should policymakers and society be willing to pay for an additional or incremental unit of health gain?

If you make any
decision in healthcare,
then this book is for you.

Anyone who ultimately has the power to make any decision in healthcare needs to equip themselves with the skills to conduct or, at the very least, evaluate outcomes research – of which pharmacoeconomics is a type.

Pharmacoeconomics

is used to inform resource allocation decisions and define effective pharmaceutical policies.

Speaks to the Art

The Art of Pharmacoeconomics is the first of its kind book that takes a macro-level approach to the methodology, skills, and personnel needed to perform and evaluate pharmacoeconomics research. This book speaks to the art, and not just the technical features, of the discipline.

Dr. James Stevenson
Professor of Clinical Pharmacy at the University of Michigan & Chief Clinical Officer at Omnicell

“The Art of Pharmacoeconomics by Dr. Rola Kaakeh was written to provide an introduction to pharmacoeconomics to students, residents, and healthcare and public health professionals. It is written as a metaphor to creating a painting or other work of art. It is clear that another purpose of the book was to try to simplify terms, principles, and methods that are often complex and confusing to those who are new to this field. The book succeeds in meeting this goal. The information is presented in a very pleasing and clear manner and facilitates joy in learning this material, rather than getting overwhelmed with technical details.” Dr. James Stevenson

The objective of the book is that you see the world of healthcare decision-making a little differently. It serves as an easy-to-read guide to the key elements that go into the process of conducting and evaluating pharmacoeconomics analyses and provides the reader with the framework and tools needed (including a pharmacoeconomics canvas).

Goals of the Book

  • Simplify a complex discipline to break down the skills gaps and competency barriers faced by healthcare professionals. 

  • Provide an essential beginner’s fundamental understanding of the principles to articulate, work on, evaluate studies, and use these tools and information in practice and decision-making when needed.

  • Allows the information generated through these analyses to be higher quality and more useful in practice.

  • Improve abilities to understand, interpret, and critically evaluate pharmacoeconomic literature, which will assist in translating the results of the analyses into practice and determine its relevance in healthcare decision-making.

Dr. Lucinda Maine
Executive Vice President & CEO
American Association of Colleges of Pharmacy

“This reference guide offers many target audiences a highly valuable resource to demystify pharmacoeconomic analyses. Understanding the language, methods and analysis of this research has become fundamental to clinicans as well as to those designing and administering health benefits. I applaud Rola for offering this accessible guide which I hope will become as central to health professional’s education and practice as mainstream pharmacotherapeutics references have become.”Dr. Lucinda Maine

Dr. Rola Kaakeh, author of “The Art of Pharmacoeconomics,” joined a diverse audience for three webinars to discuss her new book, why you should read it, and how to benefit from the concepts covered to improve healthcare decision-making.

The book is organized into three sections and seven chapters.

  • Serves as a background and introduces the concept of healthcare resource allocation, value, decision-making, outcomes research, and pharmacoeconomics analyses. 

  • Goes through the process of designing, conducting, and evaluating pharmacoeconomics analyses. It also features information on how to go about building a team, whom you should consider working/or partnering with, and why. A Pharmacoeconomics Canvas is introduced and summarized.

  • Provides information on abbreviations, references,  index, and empty pages for notes. 

This book is designed for students, residents, fellows, healthcare and public health professionals, and decision-makers.

Everyone, regardless of prior expertise or background in pharmacoeconomics and outcomes research, would benefit from learning the skills and fundamentals taught in this book. Learning the art of pharmacoeconomics in the manner addressed in the book will help tell stories of impact through a more objective and evidence-based approach.

Dr. Erin Fox, PharmD, BCPS, FASHP
Senior Pharmacy Director
University of Utah

“The Art of Pharmacoeconomics by Dr. Rola Kaakeh is the perfect resource for those new to pharmacoeconomics. What is unique about this book, is the way Dr. Kaakeh breaks down the topics using easy to understand examples. The topics and chapters are divided into very manageable chunks with helpful tables and summaries. The section on designing, conducting, and evaluating pharmacoeconomics analyses should be of particular interest for pharmacy residents as well as residency program directors. Many projects are initiated without a well-thought-out design strategy. Dr. Kaakeh’s section on “researchers are designers” should be required reading for anyone in a health-system precasting or participating in projects. Dr. Kaakeh’s new book states it’s a “guide to getting started” and truly delivers on that promise.” Dr. Erin Fox

Dr. Jan Hirsch, BS Pharm, PhD, FNAP
Founding Dean and Professor of Clinical Pharmacy, University of California, Irvinne

“In her book “The Art of Pharmacoeconomics”
Dr. Rola Kaakeh begins by providing a succinct overview of the basics of pharmacoeconomics analyses that will be useful to those new to the field. Beyond that however, Dr. Kaakeh tackles an area often overlooked that is of critical importance - the team of people who make the analyses happen. Since researchers make many key decisions while crafting the study design they are inextricably part of the ultimate study results. The thoughts and checklists in the first two chapters of section two (“Designing and Curating the Experience” and “Building the Team”) are not standard fare in pharmacoeconomic textbooks and thus broaden the applicability of the book’s content. Great resource for professionals in need of a primer on pharmacoeconomics, as well as those who are building or managing a team of researchers producing pharmacoeconomic analyses in any environment.” Dr. Jan Hirsch

Readers can use the contents of the book, both in the classroom and in practice to:

  • Learn the discipline of pharmacoeconomics and outcomes research

  • Conduct and evaluate pharmacoeconomics studies

  • Supplement existing pharmacoeconomics resources

About the Author 

Dr. Rola Kaakeh is a fellowship-trained, licensed pharmacist with over seventeen years of experience in various settings and institutions. She advises organizations globally on health system development and has engaged with various institutions within the public and private sectors, non-governmental agencies, universities, startups, and professional associations. She has served as a faculty member in multiple public and private universities (including University of Michigan, Northwestern University, University of California San Diego, among others) and was the founding director of a research center. She has focused her efforts on improving access to medications and healthcare decision-making over the years. She has produced numerous impactful publications, received a number of awards, and presented on several global, prominent stages to address pressing healthcare issues. Her impact has stretched across the international community to encompass holistic national policies to local, on-the-ground initiatives that address clinical practice, access to medications, capacity building, patient safety, and cost-containing strategies. Dr. Kaakeh started university at the age of 10 as a gifted child, holds a Doctorate in Pharmacy with a minor in Organizational Leadership from Purdue University, and completed a Post-Doctoral Fellowship in Pharmaceutical Outcomes and Health Services Research from the University of Michigan School of Public Health, College of Pharmacy, and the School of Medicine. In addition, she holds several healthcare licenses and certifications.

Dr. Jack Iskander, PharmD, MBA, MHA, BCSCP
Director of Pharmacy, University of Chicago Medical Center, Residency Program Director - PGY2 Health System Pharmacy Leadership

“The Art of Pharmacoeconomics is a very well written text that will guide anyone from a 4th year pharmacy student to a seasoned Director on the basic principles of using pharmacoeconomics to interpret data in such a way that it tells a story. This is particularly useful when discussing outcomes with non-clinical executives. I have found that it’s not the smartest idea that will get funded, or the one that will help the most people. In healthcare, the ideas that have the best financial returns will get the most attention from the C-suite. Dr. Kaakeh has published a great read for anyone that is wanting to hone their pharmacoeconomic decision making skills, and improve their ability to set up research projects, in order to get more meaningful outcomes.”
Dr. Jack Iskander

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