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BACKGROUND: The need for graduate education in Pharmaceutical Outcomes and Policy Research (POPR) is becoming increasingly apparent worldwide. However, the number of professionals in this field is inadequate in the Middle East. Therefore, this study aimed at gaining insight into the perceived value of a potential Doctor of Philosophy (Ph.D.) program in POPR among different stakeholders in Saudi Arabia. METHODS: Following the development of a Ph.D. program structure in POPR, a questionnaire was created to explore the perception of its value among decision-makers in different healthcare and governmental institutions. An email with detailed information on the proposed program was sent to 131 identified individuals along with an online link to the questionnaire. RESULTS: Responses were provided by 107 (81.67%) individuals. The majority of respondents (53.3%) represented large organizations with more than 500 workers; hospitals and academia were the most represented types of institutions. More than 85% of the participants strongly agreed that the program will meet the needs of the healthcare market in Saudi Arabia and that there will be a demand for graduates of the program over the next 5-10 years. However, only 28.04% of the participants declared that they would definitely recommend the program to their colleagues and employees, and 49.53% would consider employing its graduates. CONCLUSIONS: The obtained results indicate a significant interest among different stakeholders in introducing a Ph.D. program in POPR in Saudi Arabia.
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BACKGROUND: Among the countries affected by Middle East respiratory syndrome (MERS), Saudi Arabia was impacted the most, with 2,058 cases reported as of June 2019. However, the impact of the MERS epidemic on the Saudi economy is unknown. PURPOSE: The present study aimed to evaluate the direct medical costs associated with the management of MERS cases at a tertiary referral hospital in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia. METHODS: The study involved a retrospective chart review of confirmed cases of MERS coronavirus (MERS-CoV) infections in a tertiary care referral center in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, from January 2015 to October 2018. The collected data included sociodemographic characteristics, medical information, and the cost of hospitalization of each patient as estimated by micro-costing. RESULTS: A complete set of relevant information was available only for 24 of 44 identified MERS-CoV cases. Patients were mostly females, and the mean age was 52 years. Diabetes, hypertension, and chronic kidney disease were the most frequent comorbidities. The length of hospital stay varied from 1 to 31 days, averaging 4.96 ± 7.29 days. Two of the 24 patients died. The total cost of managing a MERS case at the hospital ranged from $1278.41 to $75,987.95 with a mean cost of $12,947.03 ± $19,923.14. CONCLUSION: The findings of this study highlight the enormous expenses incurred by the Saudi health care system due to the MERS-CoV outbreak and the importance of developing an enforceable nationwide policy to control MERS-CoV transmission and infection.