Over the course of several weeks in June and July of 2014, Rubicon Strategy Group conducted close to forty interviews with country managers of pharmaceutical and device companies, director level administrators in public and private hospitals, successful pharmacy and medical device shop owners, and entrepreneurs at the forefront of the cutting edge in the Vietnam healthcare market. In addition the team went out and conducted a validated survey questionnaire of consumers to judge their preference for particular products, and their preference for healthcare access options in the public and the private sector. The goal of this paper revealed itself in the course of compiling the data: to bring out insights from the front lines of the sales channels and the business models that make up the pharmaceutical and medical device markets in Vietnam. It is the hope of the authors that the information presented in this way can help inform sales strategies and the development of value add services for companies involved in the marketing and/or distribution of drug and medical device products in Vietnam. On the eve of a pair of large negotiations, - a free trade agreement negotiation between the EU and Vietnam, set to be finalized in October 2014, and the negotiation of the Trans Pacific Asean partnership – it was found that much of the conversation with healthcare system company representatives and sales channel participants turned to the issue of the public tender system as well as some of the hardships brought on by Vietnam’s ongoing healthcare market reform. Consequently, one section of this report is geared towards exploring how the policy and regulatory level challenges of the current tender process. However, in constructing this section it became clear that the value of the research conducted during this study is not simply in explaining the tender process as it is supposed to function at the policy level and the attendant issues that stem from that design, but also highlighting how the tender process impacts the decision making of pharmaceutical and medical device executives in-country, in real time, as well as how it impacts the various operators across sales channels. In other words, a core value of the study is necessarily attendant to its exploration of the strategies currently being employed by executives active in Vietnam’s healthcare market. In trying to present a picture of the ground-level impacts of policies and regulatory structures impacting Vietnam’s healthcare space, it is of course important to present a clear outline of the issues that the research revealed. At the same time, it became apparent to fully communicate the ground-level happenings as they related to the tender process, it was also helpful to present a series of case studies that would help add color and nuance to the issues clearly presented.

Americans praise medical technology for saving lives and improving health. Yet, new technology is often cited as a key factor in skyrocketing medical costs. This volume, second in the Medical Innovation at the Crossroads series, examines how economic incentives for innovation are changing and what that means for the future of health care. Up-to-date with a wide variety of examples and case studies, this book explores how payment, patent, and regulatory policiesâ€"as well as the involvement of numerous government agenciesâ€"affect the introduction and use of new pharmaceuticals, medical devices, and surgical procedures. The volume also includes detailed comparisons of policies and patterns of technological innovation in Western Europe and Japan. This fact-filled and practical book will be of interest to economists, policymakers, health administrators, health care practitioners, and the concerned public.

The United States has the highest per capita spending on health care of any industrialized nation but continually lags behind other nations in health care outcomes including life expectancy and infant mortality. National health expenditures are projected to exceed $2.5 trillion in 2009. Given healthcare's direct impact on the economy, there is a critical need to control health care spending. According to The Health Imperative: Lowering Costs and Improving Outcomes, the costs of health care have strained the federal budget, and negatively affected state governments, the private sector and individuals. Healthcare expenditures have restricted the ability of state and local governments to fund other priorities and have contributed to slowing growth in wages and jobs in the private sector. Moreover, the number of uninsured has risen from 45.7 million in 2007 to 46.3 million in 2008. The Health Imperative: Lowering Costs and Improving Outcomes identifies a number of factors driving expenditure growth including scientific uncertainty, perverse economic and practice incentives, system fragmentation, lack of patient involvement, and under-investment in population health. Experts discussed key levers for catalyzing transformation of the delivery system. A few included streamlined health insurance regulation, administrative simplification and clarification and quality and consistency in treatment. The book is an excellent guide for policymakers at all levels of government, as well as private sector healthcare workers.

The pharmaceutical industry is praised as a world leader in high technology innovation and the creator of products that increase both longevity and quality of life for people throughout the world. At the same time, the industry is also criticized for its marketing and pricing practices and for its apparent anticompetitive responses to generic competition. Even its research and development priorities are criticized as being too closely driven by the goal of maximizing shareholder value, rather than the health of the public. Unfortunately, many of the critics of the industry fail to understand the complexities of the industry and its role in the nations healthcare system. This book uses the tools of economic analysis to explore the conflicting priorities and aims of the pharmaceutical industry, from both an American and worldwide perspective. This is the second edition of a uniquely comprehensive and balanced discussion of pharmaceutical policy issues. All the chapters of the former edition have been fully re-written and extensively updated. In addition, the book includes six new chapters on emerging topics such as the broadened role of FDA regulations and the increasing diversity of the industry. An entire chapter is devoted to the biotechnology industry and one to alternative medicines, often called "nutraceuticals." Another new chapter discusses segments of the industry that specialize in particular activities including generic drugs and drug delivery systems. The recent controversial expansion of Medicare to cover outpatient drugs is discussed in depth. The introduction is also updated to address the volatile pace of pharmaceutical innovation and how the pharmaceutical industry has responded to the emergence of managed care.