Pills, Politics and Practice
Demanding People-Centred Medicines Policy in the 21st Century
October 26-27 2006, Amsterdam
HAI Europe Jubilee Conference
Proceedings

Preface

Messages of support

Opening speeches

Presentations

Theme I: Access to Essential Medicines

Introductory remarks by Hans Hogerzeil
Panel Chair, Hans Hogerzeil

The WTO TRIPS Agreement, Innovation and Access to Medicines: Does the Emperor have any clothes at all?
by Ellen ‘t Hoen

The impact of Free Trade Agreements on access in Latin America
by Roberto López Linares

Essential Health and Research and Development
by Martin Khor

Public Private Interactions: Successes, failures and cautions
by Colleen Daniels

Paying the price
by Margaret Ewen

Panel Discussion
Chair: Hans Hogerzeil,
Discussant: Ayyaz Kiani
Panelists: Ellen ‘t Hoen, Roberto López, Martin Khor, Colleen Daniels and Margaret Ewen

Theme II: Rational Use of Medicines

Trussed in evidence: guidelines, tramlines and fault lines
by David Healy

Commercial myths, drug promotion and public health: 1981-2006
by Barbara Mintzes

No rational use without access to data: The European campaign for transparency in drug regulation
by Danielle Bardelay

The challenges of pharmacovigilance
by Ralph Edwards

Disease mongering: Redefining disease for profit not health
by David Henry

Research-based consumer advocacy: early warnings to patients and withdrawals of dangerous drugs
by Sidney Wolfe

Panel Discussion
Chair: Dr. K. Balasubramaniam (Bala)
Discussant: Pascale Brudon
Panelists: David Healy, Barbara Mintzes, Danielle Bardelay, Ralph Edwards, David Henry and Sidney Wolfe

Theme III: Democratisation of Medicines Policy: Ethical Dilemmas & Civil Society

Threats to truth-telling in pharmaceutical research
by Aubrey Blumsohn

Civil society interventions in an African context
by Aarti Patel

Patients’ and consumers’ influence on medicines policy in China
by Xiao Xia Hu

Clinical trials to legal trials: a researcher’s journey to the European Court of Justice
by Nancy Olivieri

Politics, laws and medicines
by Graham Dukes

Panel Discussion
Chair: Zafar Mirza
Discussant: Donald Light
Panelists: Aubrey Blumsohn, Aarti Patel, Xiao Xia Hu, Nancy Olivieri, Graham Dukes