Medicines and Society Patients, Professionals and the Dominance of Pharmaceuticals

by Britten, Nicky

• ISBN13: 9781403935410
• ISBN10: 1403935416
• Format: Paperback
• Copyright: 2008-05-15
• Publisher: Palgrave Macmillan

Summary

Britten places medicines in their social context, and considers the range of influences on prescribing and the sociology of health and illness. Exploring issues such as "the meaning of medicines" and "alternative treatments," the book provides important reading for students across a range of disciplines interested in medicines and society.

Author Biography

NICKY BRITTEN is Professor in Applied Healthcare Research and Deputy
Director of the Institute of Clinical Education at the Peninsula Medical School, Universities of Exeter and Plymouth.

Table of Contents

List of Tables and Boxes	p. x
Acknowledgements	p. xii
Introduction
Introduction: Medicines in Time and Space	p. 3
Introduction	p. 3
Historical Use of Medicines	p. 5
The Role of Professionals	p. 9
The International Context	p. 12
Theoretical Approach	p. 14
Scope and Structure of the Book	p. 20
Lifeworld Perspectives
Self-care and Complementary Therapies	p. 25
Introduction	p. 25
The Popular Sector	p. 26
The Informal Sector	p. 30
Conclusion	p. 42
Medicines in the Lifeworld	p. 45
Introduction	p. 45
Lifeworld Metaphors and Meanings	p. 45
Lay Perspectives on Medicines	p. 49
Lay Testing of Medicines	p. 51
Ways People Take Medicines	p. 54
Managing Everyday Life	p. 57
The Problem of 'Non-compliance'	p. 59
Construction of Shared Knowledge	p. 61
Conclusion	p. 62
System Perspectives
The Development and Licensing of Medicines	p. 67
Introduction	p. 67
The Development of Drug Regulation	p. 69
Development of Medicines	p. 72
Testing and Licensing of Medicines	p. 75
Post-licensing	p. 79
Involvement of Patients and the General Public	p. 81
Conclusion	p. 85
Information about Medicines	p. 87
Introduction	p. 87
Information for Professionals	p. 87
Information for Patients	p. 90
Conclusion	p. 104
Prescribing	p. 106
Introduction	p. 106
What is Good Prescribing?	p. 107
Prescribing Decisions	p. 111
System Imperatives - the Pharmaceutical Industry	p. 116
System Imperatives - Attempts to Rationalize Prescribing	p. 119
Conclusion	p. 123
The Interface between System and Lifeworld
Patient-Professional Communication	p. 129
Introduction	p. 129
Nurse Prescribing	p. 131
Patients' Influence on Prescribing	p. 134
System and Lifeworld in Health Care Consultations	p. 138
Strategic or Communicative Action?	p. 146
Conclusion	p. 149
Collective Action	p. 152
Introduction	p. 152
Types of Groups	p. 152
Prioritizing the Lifeworld	p. 156
Relationships with Other Stakeholders	p. 164
Conclusion	p. 171
Conclusion
Balance between System and Lifeworld	p. 177
Introduction	p. 177
Lifeworld and System	p. 178
Patient and Public Involvement	p. 181
Lay Involvement in Different Stages of the Life Cycle of Medicines	p. 182
Conclusion	p. 190
References	p. 191
Index	p. 203
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