Health economics in Australia

Health economics in Australia is practised and taught in a number of locations, including Government, Universities, health service providers, consultancy firms and health-related industry.

Health economics in Australia is practised by a diverse mix of individuals from a wide range of disciplinary backgrounds.  Many are pure economists with either theoretical or applied interests in health economics, but many are qualified and practice in other specialties, especially public health.   Practitioners often have university affiliation, although our numbers are spread across government, consulting and industry

Pharmacoeconomics is a well-developed and practised field within Australia.  The Commonwealth Government's evidence-based approach to the listing and subsidy of pharmaceuticals represents a world's best approach to the basing of decisions upon a solid basis of evidence.  It has also enabled the development of a critical mass of first class  expertise in pharmacoeconomics.

Teaching programs in health economics

note:  most programs are available by distance education.

Monash University, Melbourne, Victoria:

    Graduate Certificate in Health Economics

    Graduate Certificate in Pharmacoeconomics

    Graduate Certificate in Health Economics and Policy

    Postgraduate Diploma in Health Economics and Evaluation

Curtin University of Technology, Perth, Western Australia:

    Graduate Certificate, Graduate Diploma and Masters in Health Economics

University of Queensland:

    Graduate Certificate in Health Economics

    Graduate Diploma in Health Economics

    Master of Health Economics

    Master of Health Economics (Advanced)

The University of Melbourne, Melbourne, Victoria:

    Master of Public Health (Economic Evaluation or Health Economics Specialisation)

The University of Adelaide, South Australia:

    Master of Health Economics and Policy

Specialist research centres in health economics

Centre for Health Economics Research and Evaluation (CHERE)

The Centre for Health Economics Research and Evaluation provides a critical mass of health economists and health services researchers who have developed a national and international reputation for excellence in research and teaching, a reputation for timely and high quality policy advice and support, a research program that is both policy relevant and concerned with issues at the forefront of the sub-discipline of health economics, and a capacity to nurture and develop research staff.
CHERE’s research strategy is aimed at progressing this through four areas of research activity: conceptual, methodological, applied and policy based research. Whilst these distinctions are useful for planning and review purposes, there is considerable overlap between the different research goals in specific projects.
CHERE has extensive experience in evaluating health services and programs, and in assessing the effectiveness of policy initiatives. The Centre provides policy support to all levels of the health care system, through both formal and informal involvement in working parties, committees, and by undertaking commissioned projects.

Centre for Health Economics

The Centre for Health Economics at Monash University is a research and teaching organisation established to:

• undertake academic and applied research into health programs, health systems and current policy issues;

• to develop appropriate evaluation methodologies;

• to promote the teaching of health economics and health program evaluation, in order to increase the supply of trained specialists and to improve the level of understanding in the health community.

National Centre for Epidemiology and Public Health (NCEPH)

NCEPH's mission is to contribute, using a health development approach, to better health, nationally and internationally, through our research contributions to epidemiology and other population health disciplines, and to public health policy and practice through our educational programs.

Melbourne Institute of Applied Economic and Social Research

Health Economics Research Program, Melbourne Institute of Applied
Economic and Social Research, The University of Melbourne.

Centre for Health Policy, Programs and Economics

The Centre for Health Policy, Programs and Economics (CHPPE) sits within the School of Population Health at The University of Melbourne. It is a multidisciplinary organisation aiming at contributing to the health of the community through research, teaching and service relevant to health programs, policy and economics. It also includes methodological development, exemplary practice and a varied program of teaching and training. Its staff have expertise in program evaluation, health economics, economic evaluation, health law, epidemiology, social sciences and research methodology, and many have clinical backgrounds.

Health economics within the School of Public Health, University of Sydney

Health economists located within the School of Public Health at the University of Sydney
are engaged in teaching as well as applied and methodological health economic research.

Social and Public Health Economics Research Group (SPHERe)

The formation of the Social and Public Health Economics Research Group (SPHERe)  stemmed from a common recognition of the importance of the social context in determining good health and ameliorating bad health. SPHERe aims to develop economic methods and ways of thinking within applied interdisciplinary public health settings that recognise this ‘social’ starting point.

The key areas of research and teaching currently being pursued under this program are:

        · economics of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander health

        · political economy of health

        · public health practice

        · priority setting

        · social intervention research

Centre for Applied Health Economics (CAHE)

The Centre for Applied Health Economics (CAHE), under the School of Medicine at Griffith University, is developing an Australian and international reputation for quality research.  Our research activities are in three general areas:
- Methods of economic evaluation relating to health care interventions (pharmaceuticals, medical devices, health care programs)
- Health care financing including preferences and priority setting in health care
- Evaluation of health services and health policy

Other University centres active in health economics

University of Newcastle - Centre for Clinical Epidemiology and Biostatistics

Curtin University of Technology - School of Economics and Finance

University of Adelaide - Department of Public Health

Victoria University - Centre for Strategic Economic Studies  

(see call for PhD Studies in the Pharmaceutical Industry at this web site)

Other organizations active in health economics

Department of Health and Ageing - Pharmaceutical Benefits Scheme

Association of Regulatory and Clinical Scientists to the Pharmaceutical Industry (ARCS)

ARCS, founded in 1984, is a professional association of people involved in regulatory affairs, clinical research, medical information and health economics in the Australian or New Zealand pharmaceutical, medical devices or diagnostic industries.

Access Economics (Contact: Lynne Pezzullo)

Access Economics is a well regarded leader in our field and, since 1988, possibly Australia’s best-known independent economic consultancy with over 60 staff. The health economics team within the Economic Advisory business unit offers a comprehensive range of health economics services for public and private sector clients, has a proven track record for quality work in four continents and a reputation for excellence and capability in:

* Cost benefit analysis (CBA), cost effectiveness analysis (CEA), cost utility analysis (CUA)

* Dynamic modelling of therapeutic areas with scenario and sensitivity analyses

* Health workforce demand and supply modelling and projections

* Market sizing, segmentation and profile analysis, adherence studies, other pharmacoeconomics

* Pricing and regulation studies and reviews, PBAC and MSAC submissions

* Regulatory impact assessments and OHS modelling

* Valuation of intellectual property and health R&D portfolio assessments

* Health outcomes research and program evaluation

* Statistical and econometric analysis for health, aged care and social issues

* Analysis of large, complex datasets eg, GPRN, HIC, AIHW, ABS (NHS, SDAC)

M-TAG

M-TAG is a leading health technology assessment group with a multidisciplinary focus and a team of over 35 professional staff. Established in 1995, M-TAG provides services in:

        · health economics

        · reimbursement applications

        · epidemiology and critical review

        · outcomes research

        · statistics and data management

        · non-registration studies

With offices in Australia and the UK, M-TAG undertakes a mix of projects for private and public sector clients internationally.

Last Updated:  19th August 2008

Authorised by: Denzil Fiebig, President

Australian Health Economics Society Inc, Incorporated in NSW, ABN 62310470803