Software used in pharmacoeconomic analysis MCQs With Answer

Software used in pharmacoeconomic analysis MCQs With Answer

This blog provides a focused set of multiple-choice questions on software commonly used in pharmacoeconomic analysis, tailored for M.Pharm students. It covers decision-analytic tools (TreeAge Pro, Excel), statistical and simulation environments (R, SAS, Stata, Python), Bayesian engines (WinBUGS/OpenBUGS, JAGS), and Excel add-ins for Monte Carlo simulation (@RISK, Crystal Ball). Questions emphasize model building (decision trees, Markov/cohort/microsimulation), probabilistic sensitivity analysis, survival extrapolation, ICER/QALY computation, and software features that affect choice of tool in HTA submissions. Use these MCQs to deepen understanding of which software fits specific pharmacoeconomic tasks and to prepare for exams and practical modeling work.

Q1. Which software is specifically designed with a graphical interface for building decision trees and Markov models commonly used in pharmacoeconomic analyses?

• TreeAge Pro
• Microsoft Excel
• SPSS
• WinBUGS

Correct Answer: TreeAge Pro

Q2. Which R package is specifically developed to construct Markov models, perform deterministic and probabilistic analyses, and calculate cost-effectiveness outcomes?

• heemod
• BCEA
• dplyr
• ggplot2

Correct Answer: heemod

Q3. Which commercial Excel add-in is widely used for Monte Carlo simulation and probabilistic sensitivity analysis in health economic models?

• @RISK (Palisade)
• Crystal Ball (Oracle)
• Excel Solver
• TreeAge Pro

Correct Answer: @RISK (Palisade)

Q4. Which software provides a Bayesian MCMC engine commonly used to fit hierarchical models and probabilistic components within pharmacoeconomic models?

• WinBUGS / OpenBUGS
• Stata
• SAS
• SPSS

Correct Answer: WinBUGS / OpenBUGS

Q5. Which R package is dedicated to Bayesian cost-effectiveness analysis and produces CEACs, CE planes, and EVPIs?

• BCEA
• heemod
• dplyr
• ggplot2

Correct Answer: BCEA

Q6. For parametric survival modelling and extrapolation commonly required in long-term cost-effectiveness analyses, which tool and package combination is widely used?

• R (flexsurv package)
• Microsoft Excel
• SPSS (Cox module)
• TreeAge Pro

Correct Answer: R (flexsurv package)

Q7. Which software is preferred for large-scale data management, advanced econometric routines, and many regulatory submissions in the pharmaceutical industry?

• SAS
• Microsoft Excel
• TreeAge Pro
• @RISK

Correct Answer: SAS

Q8. Which open-source MCMC engine is an alternative to WinBUGS and integrates well with R for Bayesian hierarchical modeling?

• JAGS
• Stata
• SAS
• Crystal Ball

Correct Answer: JAGS

Q9. Which R package was developed to support individual-level simulation (microsimulation) and multi-state modelling tailored for health economic evaluation?

• hesim
• heemod
• msm
• simpy

Correct Answer: hesim

Q10. Which platform is most flexible and ubiquitous for deterministic cohort models and simple Markov models but requires add-ins or coding for robust PSA?

• Microsoft Excel
• R
• TreeAge Pro
• WinBUGS

Correct Answer: Microsoft Excel

Q11. Which software offers a user-friendly GUI for visually constructing and running decision trees without extensive programming knowledge?

• TreeAge Pro
• RStudio
• SAS Enterprise Guide
• JAGS

Correct Answer: TreeAge Pro

Q12. Which commercial discrete-event simulation package is commonly used to model patient flow and resource constraints in healthcare settings?

• Simul8
• TreeAge Pro
• SPSS
• R

Correct Answer: Simul8

Q13. Which pair of tools is commonly integrated so that MCMC models written in BUGS language can be executed from R for Bayesian pharmacoeconomic analyses?

• R + WinBUGS / OpenBUGS
• SAS + Crystal Ball
• Stata + @RISK
• Excel + TreeAge Pro

Correct Answer: R + WinBUGS / OpenBUGS

Q14. Which R package provides helper functions for cost-effectiveness analysis workflows, including deterministic and probabilistic sensitivity analyses and CEAC plotting?

• dampack
• ggplot2
• data.table
• lubridate

Correct Answer: dampack

Q15. Which package focuses on Bayesian cost-effectiveness analysis metrics, supports PSA outputs, and simplifies calculation of EVPI and CEACs in R?

• BCEA
• heemod
• hesim
• survival

Correct Answer: BCEA

Q16. Which geographic information system (GIS) software is specifically used for mapping healthcare costs, access and spatial epidemiology relevant to economic analyses?

• ArcGIS
• TreeAge Pro
• SPSS
• Crystal Ball

Correct Answer: ArcGIS

Q17. For fitting mixture-cure and flexible survival models needed for long-term extrapolation in pharmacoeconomics, which software environment is most appropriate?

• R (flexsurv and survival packages)
• Excel
• TreeAge Pro
• Crystal Ball

Correct Answer: R (flexsurv and survival packages)

Q18. Which commercial modeling software’s licensing, validation features, and regulatory acceptance often make it a common choice for industry submissions to HTA agencies?

• TreeAge Pro
• R
• JAGS
• Excel

Correct Answer: TreeAge Pro

Q19. Which R package explicitly supports probabilistic sensitivity analysis for Markov cohort and state-transition models through parameter distributions and PSA sampling?

• heemod
• ggplot2
• survival
• data.table

Correct Answer: heemod

Q20. Which open-source programming environment is widely recommended for reproducible, script-based pharmacoeconomic modelling, automation, and integration with version control?

• R
• Microsoft Excel
• TreeAge Pro
• Crystal Ball

Correct Answer: R

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