Charles Courtemanche
Professor of Economics and
Director of the Institute for the Study of
Free Enterprise
Bio
Dr. Courtemanche is a Professor of Economics in the Gatton College of Business and Economics at the University of Kentucky and Director of the Institute for the Study of Free Enterprise. He is a health economist and applied microeconomist with particular research interests in the economics of obesity, nutrition, tobacco, hospitals, health insurance, COVID-19, and big box retailers. He has published over 50 papers in a variety of journals including the Journal of the European Economic Association, Economic Journal, Journal of Public Economics, Journal of Health Economics, Health Affairs, Journal of Urban Economics, Journal of Economic History, Journal of Risk and Uncertainty, and Journal of Policy Analysis and Management. He has received research funding from the National Institutes of Health, United States Department of Agriculture, Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality, Food and Drug Administration, Kentucky Hospital Association, Global Action to End Smoking, and Mercatus Center. Dr. Courtemanche is also lead editor of the Southern Economic Journal, a Research Associate in the Health Economics Program at the National Bureau of Economic Research, and a Research Affiliate with the Institute for the Study of Labor (IZA).
Latest Publication
What Economists Should Know About the 340B Drug Discounting Program
Forthcoming, Journal of Economic Surveys
The 340B Drug Pricing Program was instituted to bolster the health care safety net without relying on taxpayer money. It allows participating health care facilities—most of which are hospitals—to purchase drugs filled at in-house or contracted external pharmacies at discounts from manufacturers. Hospitals argue that these discounts are critical to their provision of charity care and unprofitable service lines. However, with 340B purchases now comprising over 13% of prescription drug sales, drug manufacturers argue that the program has grown beyond its original intent. These manufacturers have responded to the rapid growth in contract pharmacies by enacting restrictions on distribution that in turn led to a flurry of lawsuits and legislative activity. Given the 340B program's size, importance, and role in ongoing policy debates, it is perhaps surprising that it has received very little attention in economics journals. Our paper reviews the scholarly literature on the 340B program, with an eye for the gaps in this literature that economics research can help fill. In particular, economists’ causal inference econometric toolkit and theoretical insights can help improve our understanding of 340B's impacts and lead to more informed policy decisions.
For consulting and other inquiries, please use the email below or fill out the form to the right.
University of Kentucky
Gatton College of Business and Economics
550 South Limestone, Lexington, KY 40506
Email: courtemanche@uky.edu
Phone: 404-791-5912
