The overall goal of the project is to assess the performance of national pharmaceutical policies in developing countries (focusing on policy outputs and policy process), to analyze the reasons for their success or failure, and to propose strategies for improvement. The principal research question that the project seeks to answer is: Have National Drug Policies (whether they exist as explicit policy documents, or are implicit in government actions) in developing countries been successful in achieving the goals of availability, accessibility, good quality, and rational use of essential drugs? Why or why not?

The project will combine several disciplines (policy analysis, economics, and epidemiology/medicine/pharmacy) in order to assess national accomplishments, and develop fresh perspectives on national and international initiatives. Attention will be given, where warranted, to the interaction of public and private sectors in the pharmaceutical field of each country. Within this context, the specific objectives are:

a) To identify strengths, weaknesses, and political dimensions of pharmaceutical policy formulation and implementation within each country;

b) To propose explanations for cross-national variations in performance; and

c) To propose effective strategies, both national and international, that can improve pharmaceutical policy implementation.