Medication/en: Difference between revisions
Medication/en
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{{Drug List/ja}} | |||
<languages/> | <languages/> | ||
{{short description|Substance used to diagnose, cure, treat, or prevent disease}} | {{short description|Substance used to diagnose, cure, treat, or prevent disease}} | ||
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Essential medicines, as defined by the [[World Health Organization|World Health Organization]] (WHO), are "those drugs that satisfy the health care needs of the majority of the population; they should therefore be available at all times in adequate amounts and in appropriate dosage forms, at a price the community can afford." Recent studies have found that most of the medicines on the WHO essential medicines list, outside of the field of HIV drugs, are not patented in the developing world, and that lack of widespread [[Access to medicines|access to these medicines]] arise from issues fundamental to economic development – lack of infrastructure and poverty. [[Médecins Sans Frontières|Médecins Sans Frontières]] also runs a [[Campaign for Access to Essential Medicines|Campaign for Access to Essential Medicines]] campaign, which includes advocacy for greater resources to be devoted to currently untreatable diseases that primarily occur in the developing world. The [[Access to Medicine Index|Access to Medicine Index]] tracks how well pharmaceutical companies make their products available in the developing world. | Essential medicines, as defined by the [[World Health Organization|World Health Organization]] (WHO), are "those drugs that satisfy the health care needs of the majority of the population; they should therefore be available at all times in adequate amounts and in appropriate dosage forms, at a price the community can afford." Recent studies have found that most of the medicines on the WHO essential medicines list, outside of the field of HIV drugs, are not patented in the developing world, and that lack of widespread [[Access to medicines|access to these medicines]] arise from issues fundamental to economic development – lack of infrastructure and poverty. [[Médecins Sans Frontières|Médecins Sans Frontières]] also runs a [[Campaign for Access to Essential Medicines|Campaign for Access to Essential Medicines]] campaign, which includes advocacy for greater resources to be devoted to currently untreatable diseases that primarily occur in the developing world. The [[Access to Medicine Index|Access to Medicine Index]] tracks how well pharmaceutical companies make their products available in the developing world. | ||
[[World Trade Organization|World Trade Organization]] negotiations in the 1990s, including the [[TRIPS Agreement|TRIPS Agreement]] and the [[Doha Declaration|Doha Declaration]], have centered on issues at the intersection of international trade in pharmaceuticals and [[intellectual property rights|intellectual property rights]], with developed world nations seeking strong intellectual property rights to protect investments made to develop new drugs, and developing world nations seeking to promote their generic pharmaceuticals industries and their ability to make medicine available to their people via [[compulsory licenses|compulsory licenses]]. | [[:en:World Trade Organization|World Trade Organization]] negotiations in the 1990s, including the [[:en:TRIPS Agreement|TRIPS Agreement]] and the [[:en:Doha Declaration|Doha Declaration]], have centered on issues at the intersection of international trade in pharmaceuticals and [[:en:intellectual property rights|intellectual property rights]], with developed world nations seeking strong intellectual property rights to protect investments made to develop new drugs, and developing world nations seeking to promote their generic pharmaceuticals industries and their ability to make medicine available to their people via [[:en:compulsory licenses|compulsory licenses]]. | ||
Some have raised ethical objections specifically with respect to pharmaceutical patents and the high prices for drugs that they enable their proprietors to charge, which poor people around the world, cannot afford. Critics also question the rationale that exclusive patent rights and the resulting high prices are required for pharmaceutical companies to recoup the large investments needed for research and development. One study concluded that marketing expenditures for new drugs often doubled the amount that was allocated for research and development. Other critics claim that patent settlements would be costly for consumers, the health care system, and state and federal governments because it would result in delaying access to lower cost generic medicines. | Some have raised ethical objections specifically with respect to pharmaceutical patents and the high prices for drugs that they enable their proprietors to charge, which poor people around the world, cannot afford. Critics also question the rationale that exclusive patent rights and the resulting high prices are required for pharmaceutical companies to recoup the large investments needed for research and development. One study concluded that marketing expenditures for new drugs often doubled the amount that was allocated for research and development. Other critics claim that patent settlements would be costly for consumers, the health care system, and state and federal governments because it would result in delaying access to lower cost generic medicines. | ||
[[Novartis|Novartis]] fought a protracted battle with the government of India over the patenting of its drug, [[Gleevec|Gleevec]], in India, which ended up in a Supreme Court in a case known as [[Novartis v. Union of India & Others|Novartis v. Union of India & Others]]. The Supreme Court ruled narrowly against Novartis, but opponents of patenting drugs claimed it as a major victory. | [[Novartis|Novartis]] fought a protracted battle with the government of India over the patenting of its drug, [[Gleevec|Gleevec]], in India, which ended up in a Supreme Court in a case known as [[:en:Novartis v. Union of India & Others|Novartis v. Union of India & Others]]. The Supreme Court ruled narrowly against Novartis, but opponents of patenting drugs claimed it as a major victory. | ||
===Environmental issues=== | ===Environmental issues=== | ||
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{{Main|Environmental impact of pharmaceuticals and personal care products}} | {{Main|Environmental impact of pharmaceuticals and personal care products}} | ||
The environmental impact of pharmaceuticals and personal care products is controversial. PPCPs are substances used by individuals for personal health or [[cosmetics|cosmetic]] reasons and the products used by [[agribusiness|agribusiness]] to boost growth or health of livestock. PPCPs comprise a diverse collection of thousands of chemical substances, including prescription and over-the-counter therapeutic drugs, veterinary drugs, fragrances, and cosmetics. PPCPs have been detected in water bodies throughout the world and ones that persist in the environment are called [[Environmental Persistent Pharmaceutical Pollutant|Environmental Persistent Pharmaceutical Pollutant]]s. The effects of these chemicals on humans and the environment are not yet known, but to date there is no scientific evidence that they affect human health. | The environmental impact of pharmaceuticals and personal care products is controversial. PPCPs are substances used by individuals for personal health or [[:en:cosmetics|cosmetic]] reasons and the products used by [[:en:agribusiness|agribusiness]] to boost growth or health of livestock. PPCPs comprise a diverse collection of thousands of chemical substances, including prescription and over-the-counter therapeutic drugs, veterinary drugs, fragrances, and cosmetics. PPCPs have been detected in water bodies throughout the world and ones that persist in the environment are called [[Environmental Persistent Pharmaceutical Pollutant|Environmental Persistent Pharmaceutical Pollutant]]s. The effects of these chemicals on humans and the environment are not yet known, but to date there is no scientific evidence that they affect human health. | ||
== See also == | == See also == | ||