Among the questions that will be discussed at The National Congress on the Future of Pharmaceuticals in Medical Care are the following:

• What are the appropriate spending levels for pharmaceutical agents and devices, and to what extent do these agents substitute for other expensive clinical interventions?
• How can purchasers determine cost-effectiveness of new alternative treatments?
• Who should pay for these expensive agents, especially those that do not have an immediate return on investment and how much should be paid?
• What are the effects of new pharmaceutical marketing strategies, and how can marketing be used appropriately to improve care?
• How can marketing be used to increase the use of under-used agents while not stimulating inappropriate, wasteful, and even dangerous over-use?
• What are the economic and ethical implications of putting providers at-risk for pharmaceutical use?
• What information do organizations need to effectively manage pharmaceutical agents, devices, and technology?
• What strategies have hospitals, physician organizations, health plans, and other purchasers used to improve care while controlling costs?
• How effective are disease management programs in both controlling costs and improving care?
• What are the effects of Federal and state laws and regulations that promote or limit the use of new technologies?
• How can patient and provider desires for unfettered choices among competing drugs and devices be reconciled with needs to deploy the best evidence-based, cost-effective treatments?
• What are the effects of new and proposed legislation such as the "any willing drug" movement?
• How will consumer pressures affect the decisions of major purchasers, including Medicare and Medicaid programs, to change the benefits provided to their employees and dependents?