Abstract
One of the most difficult decisions any pharmaceutical-based health economist faces is how to balance the use of external health economics-focused contract research organizations (CROs) with the internal resources and capabilities of a health economics research group. The decision is multifaceted with elements of credibility, capability, and lack of resources mixed together. This paper will discuss the important decision making elements in balancing internal health economics expertise and use of external CROs with the needs of the customer. Second, the paper will suggest some decision making criterion which may aid in the allocation of individual components of a global health economics research project between internal resources and external CROs. Lastly, the paper will examine the importance of achieving the right balance between internal health economics expertise and external CROs with implications for the future of health economics research in the pharmaceutical industry.
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