Overview / Avi Dor -- ch. 1. Pharmaceutical policies in European countries / Pedro Pita Barros -- ch. 2. International experience with comparative effectiveness research : case studies from England/Wales and Germany / John F.P. Bridges, Joshua P. Cohen, Peter G. Grist, Axel C. Mühlbacher -- ch. 3. Pharmaceutical policy in the Netherlands : from price regulation toward managed competition / Lieke H.H.M. Boonen, Stéphanie A. van der Geest, Frederik T. Schut, Marco Varkevisser -- ch. 4. Impact of pharmaceutical regulation and policies on health system performance goals in Israel / Philip Sax, Amir Shmueli -- ch. 5. Global budgets and provider incentives : hospitals' drug expenditures in Taiwan / Shin-Yi Chou, Mary E. Deily, Hsien-Ming Lien, Jing Hua Zhang -- ch. 6. Medicare Part D turns four : trends in plan design, enrollment, and the impact of the program on beneficiaries / Jack Hoadley, Kosali Simon -- ch. 7. Does prescription drug adherence reduce hospitalizations and costs? : the case of diabetes / William E. Encinosa, Didem Bernard, Avi Dor -- ch. 8. Cost sharing, benefit design, and adherence : the case of multiple sclerosis / Avi Dor, Maureen J. Lage, Marcy L. Tarrants, Jane Castelli-Haley -- ch. 9. Generic utilization and cost-sharing for prescription drugs / Teresa Bernard Gibson, Catherine G. McLaughlin, Dean G. Smith -- ch. 10. Drug prices, out-of-pocket payments, and insurer costs : how do payers vary? / Jie Chen, John A. Rizzo -- ch. 11. Adverse selection and the effect of health insurance on utilization of prescribed medicine among patients with chronic conditions / Yuriy Pylypchuk -- ch. 12. The effect of drug vintage on survival : micro evidence from Puerto Rico's Medicaid program / Frank R. Lichtenberg -- ch. 13. Retail pharmacy market structure and insurer-independent pharmacy bargaining in the Medicare Part D era / Yang Xie, John M. Brooks, Julie M. Urmie, William R. Doucette -- ch. 14. Patents, innovation, and the welfare effects of Medicare Part D / Adam Gailey, Darius Lakdawalla, Neeraj Sood.

The fields of pharmaceutical economics and health economics/policy are reaching a point of convergence. This is due to both the widespread availability of pharmaceutical treatments, accompanied by broader insurance coverage, and the regulation of prescription drugs in both private and government plans. This book will bridge the gap. We will explore developments in both U.S. and International setting. The system of the U.S. is characterized by a mix of private and government insurance for prescription drugs with the expansion of Medicare Part D. Most other developed countries are characterized by social insurance with either the government as a single payer such as in Canada or Australia, or a national health service as in many other European countries.