Developing countries drug selection

Public health is coupled with convenience of treatment more than recognized. The development of more convenient drugs and formulations (i.e., once-a-day extended release products, or those with reduced side effects) is often denigrated as non-innovative, but R D in this area can also have a substantive impact on public health. Patient compliance with pharmaceutical interventions is poor. In developed countries it is foimd that 40-70% of patients comply with recommended treatments for chronic diseases (18). In the United States, where most health care consumers have little appreciation of product costs, yet substantial control of product selection, the drive to more convenient and palatable drugs is certainly largest. But the resulting benefits to increased patient compliance, patient health and thus the public health overall underscore the value that even these seemly minor innovations can have. 

In recent decades, the application of chemical treatments to control parasitic infection in fish culture has tended to become the dominant strategy, particularly in developed countries. This has undoubtedly been due to the increased value of cultured fish in the market economy. The increased production volume of cultured fish, particularly the salmonids, has attracted major pharmaceutical companies to invest in the development of selected effective products for use in fish parasite control and to obtain licences for their use. Despite the enormous costs of research and development for licensing new treatments, it has been cost-effective, particularly in the area of drug or chemotherapeutants against sea lice on salmon. There are many reasons, however, for choosing non-chemical methods for controlling a disease problem in aquaculture. In many cases there are no suitable or effective chemical methods available for controlling a specific disease, or it may be that conditions are such that a chemical method cannot be used in... 

In line with reasons developed by Baker and Carapinha, Kinsley Wilson and colleagues also accept the premise that the state is primarily responsible for ensuring access to essential medicines. They suggest that countries should develop a National Drug Policy (NDP) and accompanying implementation plans. Countries need to establish adequate processes as far as the registration, selection, procurement, and distribution of drugs are concerned. 

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