Pharmaceuticals in Australia: developments in regulation and governance

The pharmaceutical domain represents a type of internationalised policy network theorised in recent writings on neo-liberalism, neo-corporatism and governance. This article presents an analysis of developments in prescription drug regulation in Australia. A relatively stable, state-managed pattern o...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:Social science & medicine (1982) 2004-06, Vol.58 (12), p.2397-2407
Main Authors: Lofgren, Hans, Boer, Rebecca de
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
Australia
Australia Health policy Networks Partnerships Pharmaceutical industry Politics Regulation
Biological and medical sciences
Drug Approval
Drug industry
Drug Industry - organization & administration
Drugs
Ethics
Governance
Government Regulation
Health care networks
Health care policy
Health Care Surveys
Health Policy
Humans
Industry
Insurance, Pharmaceutical Services
Medical sciences
Medications
National Health Programs - legislation & jurisprudence
Networks
Organizational Innovation
Partnering
Partnerships
Pharmaceutical industry
Policy Making
Politics
Prescriptions
Program Development
Program Evaluation
Regulation
Surveys and Questionnaires
Technology, Pharmaceutical
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Summary:The pharmaceutical domain represents a type of internationalised policy network theorised in recent writings on neo-liberalism, neo-corporatism and governance. This article presents an analysis of developments in prescription drug regulation in Australia. A relatively stable, state-managed pattern of interaction has been superseded by less closed exchange, and the government itself has fragmented into agencies pursuing different objectives. Developments in the three core regulatory areas are described: safety and efficacy controls, social policy (access and equity), and state support for industry (economic) development. Consensus-building occurs within the context of the National Medicines Policy. The pharmaceutical industry, represented by Medicines Australia, has a stake in all aspects of pharmaceutical policy and regulation, and draws upon unique resources (expertise and lobbying capacity). The context for the developments described is Australia's abandonment of a protectionist version of the Keynesian welfare national state in favour of the model of the competition state, which is oriented towards support for the growth of high technology industries such as pharmaceuticals, premised on partnerships with business.
ISSN:0277-9536
1873-5347
DOI:10.1016/j.socscimed.2003.09.012