Pharmaceutical Industry Has A Huge Role In Improving Access To Medicines

Image Credit: By Ywyw [CC BY-SA 3.0 (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/3.0) or GFDL (http://www.gnu.org/copyleft/fdl.html)], from Wikimedia Commons

Inequitable Access to Medicines

1.4 billion people in our world live on less than $1.25 per day! Medications are the backbone of any health system. Saving lives requires systems where the right medicine is produced and is supplied at the right place and used in the right patient in the right amount at the right time and right cost.

The latest WHO report on access to medicines, The World Medicines Situation 2011, highlighted the fact that "At least one-third of the world’s population has no regular access to medicines."

Access to medicines can be affected by many socioeconomic factors like geographic location, literacy, quality of public sector care, household economic level, and not having health insurance. Apart from these factors, studies have reported that a higher level of Intellectual Property Rights limits access to medicines.

Ineffective Regulators

Governments, Regulators, NGOs, etc try in multiple ways, to promote universal access to medicines. Recently, there also have been instances that people have approached Judiciary for improving access to medicines. But studies have shown that "the courts (despite being a strategy for ensuring access to medicine) were unable to deal with the current spate of lawsuits, thereby leading to disruption regarding the flow of public systems."

What we have come to realize as a society off late, is that "No effort of promoting access to medicines, would ever be complete and fully effective, without the buy-in from pharmaceutical companies"

Role of Big Pharma

Access to Medicine Index, 2016 analyses 20 of the world's largest research-based pharmaceutical companies on how they make medicines more accessible in low- and middle-income countries. It has been published every two years since 2008 and tracks the steps taken by pharmaceutical companies to improve access to medicines.

The report beautifully captures the role that big pharma companies have in promoting access to medicines. I would like to quote the report here, "Pharmaceutical companies, as the innovators and producers of life-saving medicine, act early in the value chain. When they take positive steps, the impact on access can be huge."

The report found on the positive note that "Moderate progress is visible in the pharmaceutical industry’s efforts to improve access to medicine, especially when it comes to refining the way access activities are organized, development of relevant products, waiving of patent rights in the poorest countries, and granting manufacturers licenses to make generic versions of their products."

Emphasizing that the industry needs to keep up with the pace of improving access, the report noted that, "There is a social contract between pharmaceutical companies and the people who need their products. Our research suggests that many people in the industry are committed to fulfilling this contract. But progress is slower than many of us would like."

Another recent study in the context of access to drugs for Hepatitis C noted that " Pharmaceutical companies have central roles to play, particularly with regard to ensuring affordability and voluntary licensing. The available evidence provided by companies so far suggests a need for more concerted, broader engagement in access strategies."

Way Forward: Putting People Over Profits

It is an earnest appeal to all stakeholders in the pharmaceutical industry to appreciate their role in improving access to medicines. And also, the industry may be once again prompted, that, it is enabled by the financial condition and profitability status to accomplish it.

About the author: Dr. Naval Asija is a licensed MBBS Physician from India. MBBS is the equivalent of the MD degree offered by international medical schools. He is based in Delhi, India, and works as a medical writer, editor, and consultant. He supports medical researches as an author's editor, medical communication companies involved in medico-marketing activities, and medical technology companies in improving their products. He can be contacted via his LinkedIn Profile: https://www.linkedin.com/in/navalasija/

Disclaimer: The content provided here is NOT a substitute for professional medical advice. If you consider taking any action based on the above information, we recommend that it should be first confirmed with your doctor. Our detailed disclaimer statement can be read at our homepage