Australian health review : a publication of the Australian Hospital Association
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National medicines policies (NMP) provide a means for governments to achieve their objectives in relation to pharmaceuticals and other medicines. This research aimed to identify challenges to implementing the objectives of the Australian NMP from the perspective of key stakeholders. ⋯ There are many issues that need to be addressed if policymakers are to achieve the best outcomes from the NMP. Tensions between the commercial and non-commercial objectives of the NMP suggest the need to ensure that one stakeholder group's imperatives do not stifle those of other groups. At the same time, there are several emerging issues that are likely to concern all stakeholders equally, and these are both challenges and opportunities for new kinds of collaboration. What is known about the topic? We know that stakeholders have several concerns about medicines policy, but little is known about the specific challenges to implementing medicines policy from the perspective of those involved. What does this paper add? We demonstrate that stakeholders have many concerns that could impact the implementation of medicines policies. These relate primarily to ongoing tensions between the objective of ensuring a viable medicines industry, and the objectives of ensuring that medicines are safe, effective and affordable. There are also several issues that potentially pose a challenge to achieving both the commercial and non-commercial objectives of the NMP. These include limits to government funding, globalisation, consumer advocacy, changing scientific paradigms and new information technologies. What are the implications for practitioners? Policymakers need to systematically address the barriers to the ongoing implementation of the NMP. Policymakers should also ensure that one imperative (such as the commercial imperative) does not stifle other objectives. Other emerging issues are likely to concern all stakeholders, and these provide opportunities for new kinds of collaboration among stakeholders.