Are drug companies living up to their human rights responsibilities? The perspective of the former United Nations Special Rapporteur (2002-2008).
BACKGROUND TO THE DEBATE: The human rights responsibilities of drug companies have been considered for years by nongovernmental organizations, but were most sharply defined in a report by the UN Special Rapporteur on the right to health, submitted to the United Nations General Assembly in August 200...
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
| Published: |
Public Library of Science (PLoS)
2010-09-01
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| Series: | PLoS Medicine |
| Online Access: | http://europepmc.org/articles/PMC2946950?pdf=render |
| _version_ | 1818355150650081280 |
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| author | Paul Hunt Rajat Khosla |
| author_facet | Paul Hunt Rajat Khosla |
| author_sort | Paul Hunt |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | BACKGROUND TO THE DEBATE: The human rights responsibilities of drug companies have been considered for years by nongovernmental organizations, but were most sharply defined in a report by the UN Special Rapporteur on the right to health, submitted to the United Nations General Assembly in August 2008. The "Human Rights Guidelines for Pharmaceutical Companies in relation to Access to Medicines" include responsibilities for transparency, management, monitoring and accountability, pricing, and ethical marketing, and against lobbying for more protection in intellectual property laws, applying for patents for trivial modifications of existing medicines, inappropriate drug promotion, and excessive pricing. Two years after the release of the Guidelines, the PLoS Medicine Debate asks whether drug companies are living up to their human rights responsibilities. Sofia Gruskin and Zyde Raad from the Harvard School of Public Health say more assessment is needed of such responsibilities; Geralyn Ritter, Vice President of Global Public Policy and Corporate Responsibility at Merck & Co. argues that multiple stakeholders could do more to help States deliver the right to health; and Paul Hunt and Rajat Khosla introduce Mr. Hunt's work as the UN Special Rapporteur on the right to the highest attainable standard of health, regarding the human rights responsibilities of pharmaceutical companies and access to medicines. |
| first_indexed | 2024-12-13T19:36:45Z |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj.art-d5ec0154297f48b5b1dcd601a4bf0055 |
| institution | Directory Open Access Journal |
| issn | 1549-1277 1549-1676 |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2024-12-13T19:36:45Z |
| publishDate | 2010-09-01 |
| publisher | Public Library of Science (PLoS) |
| record_format | Article |
| series | PLoS Medicine |
| spelling | doaj.art-d5ec0154297f48b5b1dcd601a4bf00552022-12-21T23:33:48ZengPublic Library of Science (PLoS)PLoS Medicine1549-12771549-16762010-09-0179e100033010.1371/journal.pmed.1000330Are drug companies living up to their human rights responsibilities? The perspective of the former United Nations Special Rapporteur (2002-2008).Paul HuntRajat KhoslaBACKGROUND TO THE DEBATE: The human rights responsibilities of drug companies have been considered for years by nongovernmental organizations, but were most sharply defined in a report by the UN Special Rapporteur on the right to health, submitted to the United Nations General Assembly in August 2008. The "Human Rights Guidelines for Pharmaceutical Companies in relation to Access to Medicines" include responsibilities for transparency, management, monitoring and accountability, pricing, and ethical marketing, and against lobbying for more protection in intellectual property laws, applying for patents for trivial modifications of existing medicines, inappropriate drug promotion, and excessive pricing. Two years after the release of the Guidelines, the PLoS Medicine Debate asks whether drug companies are living up to their human rights responsibilities. Sofia Gruskin and Zyde Raad from the Harvard School of Public Health say more assessment is needed of such responsibilities; Geralyn Ritter, Vice President of Global Public Policy and Corporate Responsibility at Merck & Co. argues that multiple stakeholders could do more to help States deliver the right to health; and Paul Hunt and Rajat Khosla introduce Mr. Hunt's work as the UN Special Rapporteur on the right to the highest attainable standard of health, regarding the human rights responsibilities of pharmaceutical companies and access to medicines.http://europepmc.org/articles/PMC2946950?pdf=render |
| spellingShingle | Paul Hunt Rajat Khosla Are drug companies living up to their human rights responsibilities? The perspective of the former United Nations Special Rapporteur (2002-2008). PLoS Medicine |
| title | Are drug companies living up to their human rights responsibilities? The perspective of the former United Nations Special Rapporteur (2002-2008). |
| title_full | Are drug companies living up to their human rights responsibilities? The perspective of the former United Nations Special Rapporteur (2002-2008). |
| title_fullStr | Are drug companies living up to their human rights responsibilities? The perspective of the former United Nations Special Rapporteur (2002-2008). |
| title_full_unstemmed | Are drug companies living up to their human rights responsibilities? The perspective of the former United Nations Special Rapporteur (2002-2008). |
| title_short | Are drug companies living up to their human rights responsibilities? The perspective of the former United Nations Special Rapporteur (2002-2008). |
| title_sort | are drug companies living up to their human rights responsibilities the perspective of the former united nations special rapporteur 2002 2008 |
| url | http://europepmc.org/articles/PMC2946950?pdf=render |
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