April 2008
	GfK Explores the Politics of Healthcare at the 2008 PBIRG Conference, May 18-21 We invite you to join the GfK U.S. Healthcare Companies May 18-21 in Washington, D.C. at the Pharmaceutical Business Intelligence Research Group’s (PBIRG) Annual General Meeting. Appropriately themed The Politics of Healthcare for an event meeting in the nation’s capital, the conference will explore a range of issues impacting the pharmaceutical industry and marketing researchers, particularly in this election year. The GfK U.S. Healthcare Companies will provide perspective on some of these issues during two conference sessions:
	Where is the Future of the Pharmaceutical Industry? Presented by Richard B. Vanderveer, Ph.D., Group Chief Executive Officer, GfK U.S. Healthcare Companies Sunday, May 18 2:00 p.m. - 4:00 p.m. In this preconference workshop, Dr. Vanderveer explores considerations in planning a global strategy for pharmaceutical marketing. The discussion will include a review of two relevant information sources: PricewaterhouseCoopers’ report Pharma 2020, which predicts that pharmaceutical industry revenues will double by 2020, with much of the growth taking place in developing countries, and Oxfam’s report Investing for Life, which focuses on the moral elements of pharmaceutical companies’ developing and providing drugs for countries where profit margins will be slim or nonexistent. The session will offer valuable insights for manufacturer and agency-side personnel alike, and participants will walk away with the ability to: Recognize that the geographic distribution of the pharmaceutical industry, and thus its very nature, will change fundamentally over the next decade Understand that how health care is provided, and thus how pharmaceuticals are sold, varies substantially by country Identify those factors that must be combined, and how, for a pharmaceutical company to generate a truly global strategy Begin to develop a plan for changing the role of pharmaceutical marketing research to respond to the information needs of this vastly different world.
	The Research and Politics of Medicare Part D – Is It Working? Presented by Sue Ramspacher, Senior Vice President, GfK Market Measures Monday, May 19 10:30 a.m. - Noon & 1:30-3:00 p.m. Is Medicare Part D having the benefits it was intended to? Are more seniors getting more drugs at more affordable rates? Is it helping to manage drug costs overall? What do we expect will be the impact on Part D of the 2008 presidential election? Ms. Ramspacher’s PBIRG University session will provide an overview of GfK Market Measures’ latest research in this area. Representing more than 1,500 key stakeholder perspectives, the findings provide insights on how Medicare Part D has evolved and whether it is having the benefits that were anticipated for seniors and overall drug expenditures. More specifically, attendees will learn how Part D is affecting key health care constituents, including patients, physicians, pharmacists and MCOs. In addition to presenting these findings and in the spirit of embracing the conference’s political theme, Ms. Ramspacher’s session will allow for audience discussion in the form of a mock debate.
	The GfK U.S. Healthcare Companies will also participate in the Poster Showcase, which is an opportunity to share best practices, innovative techniques, methodologies and business insights. Stop by to meet company representatives who will discuss the following:
	Poster Showcase May 18 and 19 Topics Presented by GfK Market Measures: Comparing Parallel Techniques for Assessing “Importance” Techniques for Assessing Driver of Prescribing Linking IMS Rx to “Intent to Rx” Topic Presented by GfK Strategic Marketing: A Unified Approach to Pricing Research
	We encourage you to look at the full conference program and consider joining the GfK U.S. Healthcare Companies and hundreds of other industry colleagues at the PBIRG 2008 Annual General Meeting. The PBIRG Annual General Meeting May 18-21, 2008 Washington, D.C. Click here for the full conference agenda Representing the GfK U.S. Healthcare Companies at PBIRG: Richard B. Vanderveer, Ph.D., Group CEO, GfK U.S. Healthcare Companies Bart Weiner, President, GfK V2, Group COO, GfK U.S. Healthcare Companies Barry Zimmerman, President, GfK Market Measures Brian Hull, M.B.A., President, GfK Strategic Marketing Dan Fitzgerald, M.B.A., Executive Vice President, GfK V2 Sue Ramspacher, Senior Vice President, GfK Market Measures Doug Willson, Ph.D., Senior Vice President, GfK Strategic Marketing Mary Loveland, Vice President, GfK Strategic Marketing Serhiy Hrubiy, M.B.A., Vice President, GfK Strategic Marketing Susan Kohn, Ph.D., Vice President, GfK Strategic Marketing Randy Budros, Vice President, GfK Market Measures Maureen McLaughlin, Chief Marketing Officer, GfK Market Measures