The opportunities in the private sector are very diverse. For example, you could work in pharmaceutical companies, biotechnology companies or private health insurers.
Working in a pharmaceutical or biotechnology company you may be responsible for a particular product or technology and be required: to evaluate its potential value; develop a strategy for its launch and marketing and/or design studies that produce clinically and economically relevant information.
Health economist, a major private pharmaceutical company
Rina has obtained a Masters in Economics and a BA (Honours) in Economics and Business from the University of New South Wales.
She is currently one of four health economists for a large pharmaceutical company in Sydney. Her position is responsible for the planning and preparation of clinical and economic evaluations for optimal reimbursement, costeffectiveness and listing of new drugs as well as providing health economic support to all areas of the business.
Prior to working in the private industry, Rina spent three years undertaking research and consultancy work in a University health economics department where she gained the skills required to perform cost-effectiveness analyses and decision analytical modelling. Here she developed several cost-effectiveness models for use by the pharmaceutical industry. She also spent 18 months in a health economics research centre performing economic evaluations of health care interventions.