This
concentration is comprised of six courses (18 credits).
Students
must select six of the seven courses below needed for the concentration. All
courses listed are worth 3 credits.
Required Courses
Area 1 - The Pharmaceutical Industry
22:373:621 Ethics in the Pharmaceutical
Industry
This course will help aspiring executives in the pharmaceutical firms to
develop the knowledge, skills and ethical compass to succeed in this
environment. The topics covered include research ethics, bioethics,
intellectual property, healthcare reform, and drug marketing. This course
exposes students to a diversity of perspectives from academic and industry
point of view. It uses Harvard Business School cases that give students
opportunities to learn by making executive-level decisions in real-world business
context. Students will be expected to (1) participate actively in the case
studies, (2) complete three written assignments of 5-8 pages, and (3)
participate in one end-of-term group presentation on a timely topic in drug
policy.
22:223:607 Pharmaceutical Industry: Issues,
Structure, and Dynamics
This course contains weekly presentations by pharmaceutical industry
professionals on topics relevant to the bio pharmaceutical industry, the topics
include drug approval process, FDA¿s relationship with the industry, pricing
strategies, intellectual property & patents, genomics, licensing &
partnering, market structure , mergers & acquisitions, and other. Students
are evaluated based on three equally weighted papers of their choice.
Prerequisites or Corequisite: U.S Healthcare System & Pharmaceutical
Managed Markets
22:373:622 U.S. Health Care System and
Pharmaceutical Managed Markets
The health care industry in the United States is one of the most
controversial and changing systems in the global economy. In recent years it
has transformed into a conglomerate of public and private entities; each with
its own agenda, funding sources and place in the market. Topics of discussion
will include characteristics of the health care system, public/private sector
roles, health care markets, managed care impact, congressional proposals,
health policy changes, health care reform strategies, and the role of
patients/consumers. The primary focus of this course will be how these
influences relate to the business of pharmaceuticals.
Area 2 - Pharmaceutical Marketing
22:630:619 Managing the Pharmaceutical Sales
Organization
In the pharmaceutical market, sales and share growth are results of needs
based, consultative selling complimented by various other marketing tools and
tactics. The promotional, consultative approach to selling complements the
overall marketing strategies. Leadership and management of sales force are
critically important to the success of a product. The course will address all
of these issues. In addition, students will spend a day in the field along with
an actual field rep to get a feel of the job "Day in the Life of a
Pharmaceutical Sales Representative" followed by an active, participatory
session focusing on the tactics required to drive a marketing plan from a sales
perspective.
Prerequisite: All MBA core courses
22:630:617 Pharmaceutical Marketing Research
This course examines the role of Marketing Research in four fundamental
ways: (1) identification of a marketing problem and translation of that problem
into an appropriate scientific question, (2) selections of the most appropriate
data collection procedures using the most appropriate sample, (3) the
development of analytics for reporting the ¿whats¿ of the data but more
importantly answering the ¿whys¿ behind the relationships among the data, and
(4) how to report the results in the most meaningful way that translates the
insights into actionable recommendations.
Prerequisite: 22:630:550 or 22:630:586 Marketing Management
22:630:618 Pharmaceutical Product Management
This course focuses on `real-world¿ marketing challenges faced in the
pharmaceutical industry. Topics of exploration include: product development,
lifecycle planning, competitive analysis, coordination with the sales force,
positioning/messaging, business development and monitoring performance. It will
examine the various roles a product manager performs both internally and
externally. A comprehensive marketing/launch plan for a phase III drug will be
developed. Lectures will be supplemented by guest speakers and case studies.
Prerequisite: 22:630:550 or 22:630:586 Marketing Management
22:630:684 Market Access and Reimbursements for
Drugs
Decisions we make about our health are critically important, and yet as
patients and consumers, we are often ill informed. A variety of well-meaning
third parties ¿ providers, payers, pharmacists, and politicians (among others)
¿ influence our access to drugs and the price we pay for them. This course will
explore the complex variety of transactions that takes place between the
development and manufacturing of a pharmaceutical product and financial
mechanisms that influence the payer, provider, and the patient, including the
following:
- Pharmaceutical pricing models
- Innovative contracting
- Reimbursement and coding
- Cause and effect of patient cost offsets
This course cannot be used as an elective towards the Marketing
concentration.
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Concentrations 
