El discreto encanto de los medicamentos / The discreet charm of drugs

El presente artículo es un resumen de un grupo de conferencias sobre la industria farmacéutica mundial ofrecidas entre 2010 y 2013 en diferentes foros nacionales e internacionales. El comportamiento de la producción y consumo de medicamentos en el mundo, teniendo en cuenta que se trata de un bien social que se utiliza para prevenir enfermedades y restablecer la salud del ser humano, ofrece un panorama extraño en relación con las reales necesidades de la población. Se analiza cuáles son los elementos implicados en ese comportamiento. Comienza con una caracterización de la industria farmacéutica mundial contemporánea y analiza tres aspectos que considera están relacionadas con estos resultados: la investigación médico-farmacéutica, la promoción e información médica y el funcionamiento de las agencias reguladoras nacionales de medicamentos. La industria farmacéutica mundial ha aportado enormes ventajas al tratamiento de las enfermedades. Es un hecho irrefutable, pero la Gran Pharma no es una industria cualquiera y requiere ser rentable. La globalización y el neoliberalismo han creado patrones de motivación y conducta basados fundamentalmente en los intereses del mercado. Debemos estar alertas en el futuro. Este nuevo siglo introduce nuevos retos a los pueblos, sus gobiernos y a la Gran Pharma en relación con la salud y la enfermedad y su enfrentamiento(AU)

This article summarized a group of lectures on the world drug industry delivered from 2010 to 2013 in a number of national and international fora. Taking into account that a pharmaceutical is a social asset used to prevent diseases and recover human health, the behavior of the drug production and consumption worldwide shows a awkward overview in terms of the real needs of the population. An analysis was made on the elements involved in such behavior, beginning with a characterization of the world current drug industry and analyzing three aspects related to the results: medical-drug research, medical promotion and information and operation of the national drug regulatory agencies. The world drug industry has provided huge benefits for the treatment of diseases and this is an undeniable fact; however, the Big Pharma needs to be profitable. Globalization and neoliberalism have created patterns of incentives and behaviors mainly based on the market interests. We should be aware of that in the future. This new century poses new challenges for the peoples, their governments and for the Big Pharma in terms of health, disease and how to face it(AU)

Drug Utilization in the Inpatients of Our Hospital During 2003～2007 / 中国药房

OBJECTIVE:To probe into the tendency and influencing factors of the drug expenses of the inpatients in our hospital.METHODS:The total drug expense,the antibiotic expense and its proportion in the total of the inpatients in our hospital were analyzed statistically in this retrospective study.RESULTS:During 2003～2007,the average daily total drug expense per inpatient was 371.77 yuan with average annual growth rate of 11.94%;the average daily antibiotics cost per inpatient was 110.35 yuan with average annual growth rate of 11.92%.Both the drug expense and antibiotic expense were correlated positively with the consumer price index (CPI).And the proportion of antibiotic expense in the total drug cost remained stable at about 29.68%.CONCLUSION:The average daily drug cost and antibiotic expenses per inpatient between 2003 and 2007 fluctuated yet with upward trend on the whole,and the proportion of antibiotic expense in the total drug cost remained stable.

Effective Suppression of Unreasonable Increase of Medical Expenses with Pharmacoeconomic Method / 中国药房

OBJECTIVE:To find out an effective way to control the unreasonable increase of drug expenses.METHODS:To analyse and evaluate the role of pharmacoeconomic research in suppression of unreasonable increase of drug expenses.RESULTS:The best therapeutic scheme could be found out by pharmacoeconomic research through the way of determination of the cost and efficacy of pharmacotherapy,and the unreasonable increase of drug expenses could also be cut down in5aspects.CONCLUSION:Pharmacoeconomic research is a practical and feasible way to control unreasonable increase of medical expenses.