sean-d-sullivan

Sean D. Sullivan

Professor of Pharmacy

CHOICE Faculty, Department of Pharmacy, Pharmacy Faculty, School Faculty

Email: sdsull@uw.edu

Office Location: University of Washington 1959 NE Pacific Ave, H-364, Box 357631 Seattle, WA 98195-7630

Expertise:
Cancer Treatments, Claims Data, Comparative Effectiveness Research, Drug Policy, Economic Evaluation, Health Economics, Health Outcomes, Health Policy, Health Services Research

Positions

Professor of Pharmacy, School of Pharmacy, Professor of Health Services, School of Public Health, University of Washington

Education

  • BSc.Pharm 1983 Oregon State University, College of Pharmacy
  • M.Sc. 1986 University of Texas, College of Pharmacy (Administrative and Economic Sciences)
  • Ph.D. 1992 University of California, Berkeley (Health Economics and Policy)

Research Interests

  • Pharmaceutical policy
  • Economic evaluation of pharmaceuticals
  • Global health technology assessment
  • Medical decision making

Courses Taught

  • HECON 530 – Practice of Healthcare Technology Assessment in a Global Environment
  • HEOR 545 – Topics in Pharmaceutical Policy
  • PHRMCY 515 – Population Health and Pharmacy Management

Biography

Sean D. Sullivan, BScPharm, MSc, PhD, is a Professor, School of Pharmacy and Visiting Professor (2022-2027), London School of Economics and Political Science. He holds a joint appointment as Professor of Health Services, School of Public Health. Dr. Sullivan was Dean of the School of Pharmacy from 2014 to 2022.

He completed training in pharmacy at Oregon State University in 1983, obtained a master’s degree at the University of Texas in 1986 and a PhD in health economics and policy at the University of California, Berkeley in 1992. His current research includes topics related to contemporary pharmaceutical policy, medical technology pricing and economic evaluation of medical technology, including pharmaceuticals. He is past president (2003-2004) and treasurer (2020-2026) of the International Society for Pharmacoeconomics and Outcomes Research (ISPOR) and founding chair of the Academy of Managed Care Pharmacy (AMCP) Executive Committee of the Format for Formulary Submissions – the United States evidence-based guidelines for formulary decision making.

Dr. Sullivan was a member of the Medicare Evidence Development and Coverage Advisory Committee, Chair of the Regence Blue Shield and Premera Blue Cross P/T Committee, and Chair of the Premera Blue Cross Value Assessment Committee. He was awarded the Stephen G. Avey Lifetime Achievement Award (2014) from the Academy of Managed Care Pharmacy (AMCP), and the APhA Academy of Pharmaceutical Research Sciences (APRS) Research Achievement Award (2015). In 2020, he was elected to the National Academy of Medicine and in 2022 was elected Fellow, American Association for the Advancement of Science (AAAS). In 2026, he was presented the Avedis Donabedian Lifetime Achievement Award from ISPOR.

Selected Publications

  • Neumann PJ, Cohen J, Sullivan SD, Xie F. Do Medicare’s IPAY 2027 negotiated drug prices reflect value for money? Health Affairs Forefront Dec 11, 2025 https://doi:10.1377/forefront.20251209.237091
  • Jeon K, Martin K, Gabriel J, Hansen RN, Sullivan SD. Spending Impact of the First Ten Drugs Selected for Medicare Drug Price Negotiation. Value in Health 2026
  • Sullivan SD and Grueger J. International Reference Pricing Comes to America: The MFN Policies Explained. Value and Outcomes Spotlight2026 12:1
  • Dayer VW, Hansen RN, Roth JA, Jofre-Bonet M, Sullivan SD. Patient Out-Of-Pocket Costs and Rheumatology Biosimilar Competition. J Manag Care Spec Pharm 2026;32(5):563-73
  • Gabriel J, Cousin EM, Li KH, Martin K, Sullivan SD. Assessment of IPAY 2027 Medicare Drug Price Negotiation Maximum Fair Prices with Prices in Eight Most Favored Nation Reference Countries. J Manag Care Spec Pharm 2026 May;32(5):530-539.
  • Sullivan SD, Dayer VW, Kasle A, Nourhussein I, Hansen RN. Re-Estimation of Medicare Spending for Semaglutide After Most Favored Nation and Medicare Drug Price Negotiation Announcements. Value in Health 2026 https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jval.2026.01.016
  • Sullivan SD and Hansen RN. TrumpRx has a fundamental flaw. Op-Ed, STAT News. February 5, 2026. https://www.statnews.com/2026/02/05/trumprx-prescription-drug-costs-flaws/
  • Dayer VW, Sun L, Grueger J, Sullivan SD on behalf of the CER-to-Policy Expert Collaborative. Evidence and Pricing: Bridging the Comparative Effectiveness Gap in Federal and State Drug Policy. Value in Health 2026 DOI 10.1016/j.jval.2026.04.014
  • Jeon K, Martin K, Sullivan SD. Always More Savings to be Had in Medicare Part D: Interaction Effects of the Manufacturer Discount Program and Medicare Negotiation. Health Affairs Forefront in press 2026
  • Sullivan SD. Early Access to GLP-1 Receptor Agonists for Weight Management in Medicare: The GLP-1 Bridge Demonstration. Annals of Internal Medicine in press 2026