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New Pharmaeconomics
Programme
FACULTY OF HEALTH SCIENCES
Merck Company
Foundation provides grant
for scholarships
The Health Economics and HIV/AIDS
Research Division (HEARD) based at the
University of KwaZulu-Natal (UKZN) has coordinated
the transfer of a substantial grant
from The Merck Company Foundation to the
University’s School of Pharmacy and Pharmacology
to provide scholarships for up to
seven students for a new Masters programme
in Pharmaeconomics.
“HEARD was awarded this grant which
essentially had two components – research
and capacity building – and the Merck scholarship
to students is part of the capacitybuilding
arm of the grant,” said senior
researcher at HEARD, Mr Gavin George. “We
identified HEARD, a research company that
embraces research and health solutions,”
said Ms Dorothy Mwangu from The Merck
Company Foundation.
“We at HEARD underwent a process of
identifying what relevant courses were not
available in South Africa and we realised that
no Pharmaeconomics course existed, although
it is very much needed,” said George.
When HEARD discovered that the School of
Pharmacy and Pharmacology was already in
the process of accrediting the online Masters
programme in Pharmaeconomics, they
began the process of transferring the funding
to the School.
Head of School, Professor Fatima
Suleman, who led the development of the
programme, indicated that students who
wish to pursue Masters Degrees in Pharmacy
and come from disadvantaged backgrounds
will benefit from the grant.
Recent health sector reform has centred
on the pricing structure of medicines in
South Africa. Section 22G of the Medicines
and Related Substances Amendment Act 101
of 1997 provides for the Minister of Health
to appoint members of the Pricing Committee
to take responsibility, among other
things, for the formulation of a transparent
pricing system for medicines in South Africa.
As yet, no module exists in South Africa that
teaches the skills required for economic
evaluation.
The purpose of the programme is to
provide Masters students with the knowledge,
skills and expertise to evaluate
literature for evidence that can be used in
Pharmaeconomic submissions and evaluations.
Students will also be equipped to
conduct and appraise Pharmaeconomic
evaluations for assessment of submissions
to the Pricing Committee (National Department
of Health). In addition, the programme
addresses a growing need for professionals
skilled in Pharmaeconomic research,
evaluation, and appraisal. Similarly, it will
equip students to prepare evaluations for
managed care and the pharmaceutical
industry.
Adapted from an article that originally appeared
in UKZN Online Volume 5 Issue 5.
For further information about the new
programme in Pharmaeconomics,
kindly contact Professor Fatima
Suleman by email at
sulemanf@ukzn.ac.za or by telephone
on +27 (0)31 260 7941.
From left: Executive Director of HEARD, Professor Alan Whiteside with Professor Fatima
Suleman of the School Pharmacy and Pharmacology, Ms Dorothy Mwangu of The Merck
Company Foundation, and HEARD Operations Director, Mr Samuel Gormley.
12 UKZN Foundation www.ukzn.ac.za/ukznf