Pharmaceutical companies and global lack of access to medicines: strengthening accountability under the right to health.
Many medicines currently available on the market are simply too expensive for millions around the world to afford. Many medicines available in the developing world are only available to a small percentage of the population due to economic inequities. The profit-seeking behavior of pharmaceutical companies exacerbates this problem. In most cases, the price reductions required to make drugs affordable to a broader class of people in the developing world are not offset by the resultant increase in sales volume. Simply stated, in most of the developing world, it is more profitable to sell drugs to the very wealthy at high prices than it is to sell cheaper drugs to a greater number of people. As a result, medicines remain unaffordable for the vast majority of people in many parts of the world. While this might be an acceptable outcome for certain commodities, such as luxury goods, it is completely unacceptable for life-saving medicines. Therefore, in order to effectively address the global lack of access to medicines, the role pharmaceutical companies play in the international intellectual property regime must be critically examined.
United Nations.
Anand
A
Grover
Brian
B
Citro
Mihir
M
Mankad
Fiona
F
Lander
D032781:Codes of Ethics; D016527:Drug Costs; D004345:Drug Industry / Q000941:ethics* / Q000331:legislation & jurisprudence; D014943:Global Health; D019983:Guideline Adherence / Q000941:ethics / Q000331:legislation & jurisprudence; D006297:Health Services Accessibility / Q000941:ethics* / Q000331:legislation & jurisprudence; D006806:Human Rights / Q000331:legislation & jurisprudence; D006801:Humans; D007391:International Cooperation; D010330:Patents as Topic / Q000941:ethics / Q000331:legislation & jurisprudence; D004364:Pharmaceutical Preparations / Q000600:supply & distribution*; D012941:Social Responsibility; D035141:Voluntary Programs
D004364:Pharmaceutical Preparations