The study of how individuals and societies allocate their limited resources in attempts to satisfy their unlimited wants.
Scarcity
wants are greater than goods available to satisfy them
Allocation
how to produce
what to produce
who will produce what
who is to receive what is produced
Distribution
how much goods and services particular individuals receive
Inputs
commodities/services used for producing goods and services
Outputs
useful goods and services that are produced for consumption or further production
Factors of production
another term for inputs
Three categories of inputs
Land
Labor
Capital
Pharmacists provide:
Goods and service
Medications
Counseling
Production-Possibility Frontier (PPF) Curve
Societies have limited resources and technology
Points outside the curve are unachievable.
Points under the curve indicate that the economy has not attained production efficiency
Opportunity Cost
cost of forgone alternatives of a decision
Opportunity costs for pharmacy students
Direct Expenditure
Tuition costs
Missing out on work
Utility
Satisfaction obtained from purchasing a particular good or service.
Maximize utility within budget constraints
Utility > Cost
Purchase
Utility < Cost
No Purchase
1st utility is ____ than 2nd utility for the same good.
higher
Marginal utility
Additional utility arising from consumption of an additional unit of the commodity
when cost of a commodity exceeds marginal utility then _______.
No purchase
Law of diminishing marginal utility
A point is reached where consuming additional units would increase total utility but at a decreasing rate as marginal utility declines.
Law of Demand
the quantity people are willing and able to buy is inversely related to the price.
not the same as need or want.
Characteristics of a demand curve
Negative slope
demand is higher at lower prices.
Shift from right to left means demand _______.
decreased
Factors influencing change in demand
price of related (substitute) goods (or complementary goods)
income of the consumer
number of consumers in the market
attitudes, taste and preferences of the consumer
consumer expectations with respect to further prices and incomes
Substitutes
Increase in price of brand name product = increase in demand for generic
Complements
Increased price of NSAIDS = decreased demand for antacids
Consumer's Income
Increase income = increased demand for goods
Number of consumers
Increase in population = increase in demand
Attitudes, tastes and preferences
Increase advertising = increase drug use
Expectations
Fear of flu vaccine shortage = increased demand for flu vaccine
Less quantity demanded at each price
Demand curve shifts to the left
More quantity demanded at each price
demand curve shifts to the right
Normal Goods
Increase income = increase demand
Inferior goods
increase income = decreased demand
Law of Supply
the quantity of produvers are willing and able to provide varies with the price
Characteristics of a supply curve
Positive slope
positive relationship between price and supply
Supply is higher at higher prices.
Shift from right to left of the supply curve means supply _____.
decreases
Factors influencing change in supply
technology
number of sellers in the market
resource costs (materials and wages)
Prices for related goods
Sellers' Expectations
Substitutes affect on supply
Increase in reimbursement for generic = decrease supply of brand
Joint products effected by supply
Increase price of one product = increase in supply of a joint product
affect of resource costs on supply
increase production cost = decreased supply
Affect of production technology on supply
increase in technology = decrease in production cost = increase in supply
Affect of the number of sellers on supply
increased number of sellers = increased supply and decreased price
Less quantity supplied at each price = supply curve shifts to the _____.
left
more quantity supplied at each price = shift in supply curve to the _____.
Right
Elasticity of demand
measure of the responsiveness of consumer demand to a change in price.
Elastic Demand
price elasticity of a good is high
qty. demanded changes greatly in response to price changes
Inelastic Demand
price elasticity is low
quantity demanded responds little to price changes
Elasticity graphs
more horizontal line = elastic
more vertical line = inelastic
If demand is elastic
increasing price would reduce total revenue
decreasing price would increase total revenue
if demand is inelastic
increased price would increase TR
decreased price would decrease TR
Unitary Demand
A producer's total revenue does not change with the change in the price of the good
What keeps price from rising infinitely?
Competition
related goods
government policies
Gov't intervention
managed care policies
consumer's ability to purchase
Value of Elastic Demand
Ed > 1
Unitary Demand Value
Ed = 1
Inelastic Demand Value
Ed < 1
Importance of Elasticity
Connection between change in price to total revenue
Importance in determining what goods to tax
Three determinants of elasticity of demand
availability of substitutes for the good
price of a good relative to consumers' incomes
number of alternative uses for the good
Elasticity of demand for prescription drugs
Rx drugs have little substitutes
Small portion of the patient's income is applied to the cost of the Rx
Rx drugs have few alternative uses
Rx drugs have ______ demand.
inelastic
Factors unique to Rx drug industry regarding elasticity of demand
decision maker
industry promotes differentiation of products
third-party payment plans
Price elasticity of supply
estimates how much the quantity supplied of a good changes when its price is changed
Calculating Elasticity
Ed = (Change in Q / [Q1 + Q2 / 2]) / (Change in P / [P1 + P2 / 2])
Indifference curves
shows consumer preference relative to their budget
Consumer equilibrium point
where the budget line is tangent to the indifference curve
Market equilibrium price
the point where quantity supplied is equal to the quantity demanded
Market surplus
shif in the demand curve to the left will reduce the quantity demanded of the product at every price
Market shortage
shift of the supply curve to the left reduces quantity supplied at each price
Floor Price
price is not legally allowed to fall below a minimum level
ceiling price
price is not allowed to rise above this maximum level
Price discrimination
exists with the seller offers the same good or service to different buyters at different prices even though the price of production to each buyer is the same.