Global consumption and the challenge to pharmaceutical governance in the United Kingdom

doi:10.1136/bmj.331.7507.40

BMJ 2005;331:40-42 (2 July), doi:10.1136/bmj.331.7507.40

Education and debate

Global consumption and the challenge to pharmaceutical governance in the United Kingdom

Nick Fox, reader in the sociology of health and the body¹, Katie Ward, research associate¹

¹ School of Health and Related Research, University of Sheffield, Sheffield S1 4DA

Correspondence to: N Fox n.j.fox@shef.ac.uk

Analysis of governance, based on research into the views ofstakeholders, can show the ways in which systems for regulationof technology evolve in the face of changes such as globalisation

The first 150 words of the full text of this article appear below.

Introduction

The globalisation of production and consumption challenges theways in which potentially harmful yet essential technologiessuch as pharmaceuticals are governed. In modern liberal democracies,governance (a term whose Greek root implies control) dependsnot only on law and regulation but also on successfully engaginga wide range of interests within society—industry, professionals,and the public—as responsible and accountable. With theemergence of the internet, consumers' access to informationand opportunities to purchase goods online may destabilise theestablished processes regulating prescription drugs.

Technology, governance, and globalisation

For democratic societies, the challenge of governance is tobalance and reconcile the differing interests of the state andof individuals in an effort to sustain the continuity, security,and cultural integrity of the state and the liberty and rightsof individuals.¹ Governance systems can be established in theabsence of legal or political authority and often depend onvoluntary and consensual processes. A good example is . . . [Full text of this article]