Pharmaceutical pricing in the developing world: issues of access to medicines

Events during 2001 raised greater awareness in the global community to the problems facing less developed countries in gaining access to essential medicines because they are not affordable. The difference between the price of medicines and income in many developing countries is significant and consequently, price stands as an important barrier to access. Steps taken this year to clarify the flexibility clauses of the Trade-Related Aspects of Intellectual Property Rights Agreement - international discussions on the feasibility of applying a differential pricing mechanism and the Global Fund to Fight AIDS, Tuberculosis and Malaria - have been important advances in the process that seeks to ensure access to affordably priced medicines. This paper reviews recent developments and proposals concerning issues of drug pricing in developing countries and discusses what still needs to be done in order to improve access.