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Healthy IPRs examines some of the central issues currently taking place in the field of pharmaceutical Intellectual Property Rights. It is no secret that the IP field in general, and pharmaceutical IPRs in particular, have been the subject of many heated discussions. These discussions can often be as emotional as they are rational.Yet without denigrating the importance of the pharmaceutical IPR debate in general, and the issue of access to medicines in particular, it is essential to keep the big picture in mind. Pharmaceutical IPRs work. They are part of the solution and not part of the problem. By providing a comprehensive and realistic overview of the many aspects of pharmaceutical IPRs this compendium seeks to underline this message. Healthy IPRs includes concise and informative contributions from seventeen distinguished experts, including academics, policy makers and practitioners.
Unlocking Ideas: Essays from the Amigo Society
The Amigo Society conferences, held in Brussels, were set up in 2004 to bring together public policy experts, media representatives and members of civil society to debate these and other issues of importance to an enlarged Europe. Taking concrete examples from all over Europe and North America, this collection examines the broad motivations behind, influences on, and opportunities for future health and welfare policy reform. It also looks to the future – drawing in new fields of policymaking such as biotechnology, tailormade medicines and other technologies expected to drastically alter Europe’s healthcare landscape. And driving it all, the final set of essays examines consumer empowerment as the major factor which will push forward reform of Europe’s health and welfare systems. Unlocking Ideas: Essays from the Amigo Society assembles the highlights of these debates over the past two years and provides exciting new insights for the reformers of the future.
Imagine living in a world where doctors were afraid to write prescriptions because it was unclear whether or not the pharmacy had genuine, ‘real’ medicines on its shelves. If the counterfeit medicines industry is allowed to continue its growth, such a future is not only imaginable, but is all too possible. The business of creating, distributing and selling counterfeit medicines is an unregulated, criminal and growing part of the global economy. But there is one major difference between pharmaceutical counterfeiting and other underground industries: lives are at stake.
We are facing a demographic time bomb: by 2050, there will be 2 workers to every 1 retired person in most European countries. In some countries that ratio will be 1:1. The harsh reality is that current pay-as-you-go pension systems are simply financially, economically and socially unsustainable - without reform, pensioners will bankrupt the welfare state. Internationally renowned experts on pensions have contributed to this publication in an attempt to answer some of the most difficult questions facing us today: Should pay-as-you-go systems be tweaked only slightly? Is there a role for the market in providing pensions? If so, how extensive should that role be? What are the benefits to the citizen? To the government? What can be learned from countries that have already reformed? Is the Chilean model suitable for the ailing systems in Europe? Or is the Swedish approach to reform more appropriate? It is time to defuse the pensions time bomb. This timely book offers Europe a way ahead
'For those of us who have consistently advocated a flat tax for Britain long before it became fashionable, it is gratifying to witness the explosion of interest in the idea over the past few months.' Allister Heath thus explores the possibility of a British flat tax, discovering it to be both a viable, and desirable, model for the UK.
An intense debate is raging in Western Europe. Growth is slowing, employment is falling, the number of people living off the state is increasing, and welfare services are deteriorating. Why? Who is responsible? What should be done? New problems are emerging: ageing populations, ever-more-expensive services, and international competition. Taxes are being lowered, public commitments limited, private initiatives admitted, and deregulation measures introduced. But reforms in Western Europe are far too modest, and the politicians in charge are keeping quiet about the aims – in fact, they often argue the opposite. Citizens are being kept in the dark about the purpose of the changes. It is time to speak clearly about the causes of the problems, the way out and the European dawn that awaits us after the implementation of thorough reform. This book is intended to inspire reform, to provide a clear analysis, and to stimulate an open debate.
Accession of the Central and Eastern European states has provided impetus for a fundamental re-evaluation of Europe’s economic and social model. New member states were forced to introduce radical reforms to tackle the deep-seated problems of the welfare state and in so doing have challenged the orthodoxy of Western European systems. With the west now facing the impending crises of an aging population, unsustainable healthcare systems, and the prospect of sustained weak economic growth, the question remains: Should ‘old Europe’ mimic the reforms of its newest partners? Indeed, does ‘old Europe’ have a choice but to reform? Does the West Know Best? assembles leading thinkers from both eastern and western Europe to examine whether the EU-15 can learn from some of the new member states’ more radical approaches to social and economic reform. It questions the sustainability of the European economic and social model, while seeking solutions to its endemic problems.
It is often assumed that there is a wide gap between eastern and western Europe, not just geographically, but also when it comes to the state of their healthcare systems. Slovakia, Poland and Hungary all emerged from the yoke of communism with state-run, state-funded systems that were highly bureaucratic, mismanaged and often corrupt. Many citizens could only get access to helathcare by bribing physicians - and some still do today. The systems were also largely underfunded, especially in comparison with other EU nations. But how have these countries fared since the fall of the Berlin Wall, and what do their attitudes tell us about the prospects for reform today? Poles Apart? sets out to examine whether this perception is really true by asking the opinions of 3,000 central and eastern Europeans and comparing them with their counterparts in the rest of the EU.
Recent decades have seen an astounding change in the way we view healthcare. Medical innovation has brought new treatments for all sorts of diseases. But there is a dark side to the growth in demand for medicines. Counterfeiting of pharmaceuticals is now a global trade. Conducted by a former policeman, this investigation into the trade in fake medicines and its links with organised crime uncovers a horrifying story. Across Europe, counterfeiters have discovered a range of easy routes for selling fake and sub-standard products into the legitimate distribution chain. A Sick Business shows how, to the uninitiated eye, this crime is invisible. Most patients and consumers are unaware just how many public safety problems counterfeit medicines may cause. It argues that this illegal business is conducted by unscrupulous people whose actions have already cost thousands of lives and may even be linked to terrorist activity – yet almost nothing is being done to stop it. Impatient for Change (2004) Do Europe’s politicians really understand what voters want from their healthcare systems? And how can they square the circle of rising demand, rising costs and shrinking tax funding? To find out, the Stockholm Network and Populus commissioned a major study of the attitudes of European publics on the state of their health systems now and what they expect from them in future. Leading experts from across Europe analyse the data, putting it into its national and pan-European context. Is ‘choice’ really a meaningful concept for patients? Will they pay more for healthcare and, if so, how? What do they think will happen if no reform takes place? If reform occurs, what should it look like and what are their priorities?
Should companies be cheerleaders for capitalism or is the growth of corporate and social responsibility evidence of a new way of doing business and doing it better? Is it time for policymakers to be more aggressive with business failure? A backlash is emerging too among those who think companies are becoming overly timid and apologetic. Too much of this risk aversion could be damaging, not just to profits, but to faith in capitalism itself. With books critical of global corporations topping best-seller lists across the world, how can corporations answer their critics – and should they even try? An Apology for Capitalism? assembles leading thinkers to debate the limits of corporate and social responsibility. It questions whether corporations deserve the flak and asks if it is now time for them to embrace the business of saying sorry.
Do Europe’s politicians really understand what voters want from their healthcare systems? And how can they square the circle of rising demand, rising costs and shrinking tax funding? To find out, the Stockholm Network and Populus commissioned a major study of the attitudes of European publics on the state of their health systems now and what they expect from them in future. Leading experts from across Europe analyse the data, putting it into its national and pan-European context. Is ‘choice’ really a meaningful concept for patients? Will they pay more for healthcare and, if so, how? What do they think will happen if no reform takes place? If reform occurs, what should it look like and what are their priorities?
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