Innovative therapies developed by the pharmaceutical industry have helped to substantially improve the quality of life for millions of people globally. Demand for these medicines continues to grow due to increasing urbanization and sociodemographic factors. At the same time, the prices of these drugs have been classified as unsustainable by many developing countries and global healthcare spending has rapidly increased over the last 30 years driven by growth in chronic disease and aging populations. In Latin America, as in other developing regions, this poses a burden for governments and private sector actors as they face limited resources while trying to meet international healthcare standards. Examining the role of the pharmaceutical industry in alleviating both challenges is helpful to understand how people are benefiting from innovative medicines.
This report examines the impact of the pharmaceutical industry in nine Latin American countries (Argentina, Brazil, Chile, Colombia, Costa Rica, Ecuador, Mexico, Panama, and Peru) by analyzing its impact across two dimensions of value: economic impact and societal-human impact.
Key messages in the report:
Support to public health policies: Research-based pharmaceutical companies have robust programs to support public policies.
Educational initiatives: Research-based pharmaceutical companies allocate a large number of resources for educational initiatives.
Monetary contributions: Supporting society through economic donations is another important social initiative undertaken by innovative pharmaceutical companies.
In-kind donations: Besides the economic contributions, innovative pharmaceutical companies carry out several in-kind donations.