Access To Medicines

Access to Medicines in Global Commerce Policy

In this regard, access to medicines is: an aspect of work on intellectual property rights in the WTO. The entries on trade policy are here. It deals with the balance between obligations under the Agreement on Trade-Related Aspects of Intellectual Property Rights (TRIPS) and the expectations of developing countries for affordable medicines. Developing countries claim that compulsory licences and parallel imports are essential for their governments to carry out effective health policies through affordable medicines. The entries on trade policy are here. In their view, the TRIPS agreement is skewed in favour of developed countries and the pharmaceutical companies residing there. The differing views on access to medicines show the inherent tension between intellectual property rights (a form of monopoly rights) and public expectations of vigorous competition between companies. The Declaration on the TRIPS Agreement and Public Health adopted at the Doha Ministerial Conference is aimed at reducing this tension and at the same time maintaining the benefits of adequate protection of intellectual property rights.[1]

Access to Medicinesin the wold Encyclopedia

For an introductory overview on international trade policy, see this entry.

Resources

Notes and References

1. Dictionary of Trade Policy, “Access to Medicines” entry (OAS)

See Also