Political Economy on Interactions Regarding the Compulsory Licensing of Drug Paten B.E. 2549 – 2552
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Abstract
The research article consists of the following objectives: 1) to study the methods and procedures for the issuance of countermeasures by social forces such as multinational pharmaceutical companies, support groups for multinational pharmaceutical companies, and dissident groups within Thailand who object compulsory drug licensing, as well as who these companies represent and their roles; and 2) to study the methods and procedures used by social forces to issue countermeasure in response to the Ministry of Health’s declaration on the compulsory drug licensing, as well as their interactions with the social forces that support the compulsory drug licensing and their reactions to those interactions. A qualitative research method was used in this study. To provide explanations in descriptive analysis, the results were summarized using social science theories, legal and medical research, as well as data from preliminary papers and interviews. From the study, it is found that the political economy is influenced by dissident groups on drug patent compulsory licensing and support groups for pharmaceutical companies, in which the influence of multinational pharmaceutical companies can be divided into two groups: parent companies in the United States of America and subsidiaries in Thailand. However, due to the strong bureaucracy in Thai society, the government administration is forced to implement the policies that depend on the capitalists by expanding trade and investment opportunities through amending the Patent Act to include laws and measures that benefit capitalists. As a result, the government and capitalists have a mutually dependent relationship, and the government is hesitant to address the issue of access to medications within the country, as well as the lack of participation and integration in work. This can be seen in the attitude and position of the Thai government during the years B.E. 2549 – 2552, which sided with the capitalists because it was a government that resulted from the seizure of power, and they intended to keep it for as long as possible.
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References
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