GlaxoSmithKline, Merck and Novartis Top Study on Access of Prescription Drugs to the Poor

Going into the long weekend, we thought we’d cheer on a few pharmaceutical companies who have done some good in making their prescription drugs and other products accessible to the world’s poor. GlaxoSmithKline, Merck, and Novartis again topped the Access to Medicine Index which ranks pharmaceutical companies on how readily that provide access of their prescription drugs to the world’s poor.

The Access to Medicine Index was created in 2008, and grades pharmaceutical companies on a variety of factors, including whether they offer lower prices or donate drugs in poor countries, whether they license generic versions of their products or fight to prevent them, whether they donate expertise or money to struggling health systems and whether they do research on neglected diseases.

Although GlaxoSmithKline, Merck and Novartis topped the Access to Medicine Index, Pfizer and Gilead all had significant climbs in their rankings over the last two years due to increased focus on access to medicine and new initiatives. Bayer, Bristol-Meyers Squibb, and Novo Nordisk all fell in the rankings.

For more on the Access to Medicine Index, visit:The Access to Medicine 2010 Report

Should pharmaceutical companies do more to increase access to their prescription drugs? Tell us about it at the MyHealthCafe.com Forums.

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