Sunday, 25 January 2009

My Final Essay

Summaries the main effect of globalization and discuss to what extent they are beneficial to your subject area.

       

            GLOBALISATION, a term that was used infrequently before the 1990s, is now common manner of speaking. It refers primarily to an economic system in which raw materials, manufactured goods, intellectual property and financial transactions flow freely although not equally across international borders under the supervision only of an international trade authority (Ehrenfeld D, 2003). It also refers to the homogenization of language and cultural identity that accompanies this change of material, ideas and money.

         This present wave of globalization has been motivated by policies that have opened economies domestically and internationally. After the Second World War, and especially during the past two decades, many governments have adopted free-market economic systems, enormously increasing their own productive potential and creating numerous new opportunities for international trade and investment. They also have negotiated remarkable reductions in barriers to commerce and have established international agreements to promote trade in goods, services, and investment. Corporations have built foreign factories and established production and marketing arrangements with foreign partners by taking benefit of new opportunities in foreign markets. ( Endowment c, 2003).

          Rapid progression of science and technology in the 21st century largely changed the industrial structure, society and the way of life and brought significant benefits such as overcome of many diseases and prolongation of life-span. The pharmaceutical industry has taken advantage of the modern trend of globalisation to increase their assets and power in medical healthcare across the globe. Companies spend large amounts of money on advertising, marketing and lobbying. The industry spends roughly US$19 billion a year for that sole cause. In some countries, such as the United States of America, companies are allowed to promote their firms or products directly to the public. Consequently, this has allowed some companies to specialize in data and analytics for pharmaceutical marketing (Ministry of health, labor and welfare, 2007).

          

        Globalization shows its impact on Indian Pharmaceutical Industry that it brought in huge amounts of foreign currency into the industry which in its turn helped to boost the Indian economy. As many transnational pharmaceutical companies are now linked with the Indian Pharmaceutical Industry it increased the number of jobs that were available to the people of this country. Foreign pharmaceutical companies also brought in highly advanced technology into the Indian Pharmaceutical industries and this improved the quality of medicines that were available to the native people. Many Indian pharmaceutical companies took over international pharmaceutical companies such as Ranbaxy merged with Croslands, Wockhardt with Merind7, and Nicholas Piramal with Sumitra Pharma. This helped the Indian pharmaceutical companies to grow and make even more profits (Globalisation of Indian Pharmaceutical  Industry).

           Clinical research is now considered as one of the promising and fastest growing area in the Pharmaceutical industry. According to the Lead Discovery reports, the global clinical trials industry is currently about $10 billion and has the potential for fast growth in the future. The Indian clinical trial market has grown from $35 million in 2002 to $120 million in 2006. It was estimated that this market will grow to a large extent by 2010. Centre Watch expects it to be around US$ 250-300 million1, whereas McKinsey estimates a much higher figure of US$ 1.0-1.5 billion2. In 2002 40-50 clinical trials were conducted by 200-250 investigators and presently we have 700-1000 investigators in India. In USA 40000 investigators are conducting about 60000 trials (Dr.Mandal S C, 2008). In medicines research cooperation of transnational industries would also have great economic advantages for rising two-way trade by reducing development costs of drugs in both countries. It would represent a most important opportunity for ensuring that the expenditure of public monies in this area is restricted to products offering proven profit to the community in terms of both costs and comparative effectiveness. For example, in order to achieve this mutually beneficial end a China-Australia create the opportunity for ongoing exchange of ideas between the drug regulatory and pricing authorities of both countries to ensure suitable regulatory harmonization, compatibility and transparency (Faunce T  A,2005).

 

            Global pharmaceutical communities decided to come together in their efforts to deal with globalisation of infectious diseases. Under the control of the United Nations and its agencies, such as UNAIDS, WHO, UNICEF and UN-Habitat, 191 member countries of the United Nations pledged to attain eight Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) by 2015. It have Five  goals are in the health area; they are reducing child death, reversing the spread of HIV/AIDS, improving maternal health, and malaria, and ensuring sustainable environmental health. They also tackle with those determinants of health such as reducing the proportion of people without sustainable safe drinking water, and improving the lives of at least 100 million slum dwellers.(Dr.Shisana O,2005) To ensure that these goals are implemented, the member states pledged to establish a global partnership for development with the objective of developing further “an open trading and financial system that is rule-based, predictable and non-discriminatory” that includes a “commitment to good governance, development and poverty reduction -nationally and internationally” (UN Millennium Development Goals).

 

            

              The above essay concludes that Globalisation is very common now a day’s and it affects on various areas, which includes business, culture, language, ideas and services. Pharmaceutical companies have achieved great success because of Globalisation; this has increased their profit and power in medical healthcare all over the world. The link between transnational companies with many developing and developed countries like India, China, Australia and America has resulted in increase in their economy. The above figures of clinical research prove that it is one of the fast growing areas of pharmaceutical sciences. Global pharmaceutical communities have come together in order to tackle with various infectious diseases and has helped in increasing the standard of living. After studying the impacts of Globalisation in the field of pharmaceutical sciences I strongly believe that it will surely bring development in this field through new researches and inventions.

Going through information about my master.

I am going through some information about my master in pharmaceutical science.I got information about course module which subject is compalsory and which is having option.
These subject is compalsory
1) Drug discovery technology.
2) Contemporary pharmaceuticals, synthesis, development and production.
3) Pharmaceutical analysis and quality assurance.
4) Scientific framework.
optional modules include:
1) Systems pharmacology.
2) Neuropharmacology.
3) Drug and poison analysis.
4) Bioinformatics and molecular modeling.
5) Advanced immunology.

PREPARING FOR PRESENTATION


I have been going through many articles, books, videoes and guides from last two days for my presentation. I discovered many tips on how to prepare a presentation and present it a better manner. I also came to know about many new aspects in the field of pharmaceutical science.
 

Friday, 23 January 2009

GLOBALISATION HOW TO AFFECT PHARMACEUTICAL SCIENCE?

Globalisation can be described as a process which the people of the world are into a single society. This process is a combination of economic, technological, socio-cultural and political forces. The Pharmaceutical factor comes as a hybrid of economic and technological forces. The trend of Globalisation was first recognized in the mid-1940s and the term was later used in 1981. The pharmaceutical industry is a commercial business whose focus is to research, develop and/or distribute drugs - conventionally under the context of healthcare.

                In March 2001, South Africa was sued by 41 Pharmaceutical companies for their Medicine Act, which approved the import and generic production of cheap AIDS drugs. The case was later dropped after protest around the world. This incident clearly reflects the influence of pharmaceutical matters on the international scene. Although, it would be a mistake to consider that all effects of globalization on the pharmaceutical industry are negative – or for that matter, entirely positive.

                The pharmaceutical industry has taken advantage of the modern trend of globalisation to increase their assets and power in medical healthcare across the globe. Companies spend large amounts of money on advertising, marketing and lobbying (government or parliament i.e. the decision-making body). The industry spends roughly US$19 billion a year for that sole cause. In some countries, such as the United State s of America, companies are allowed to promote their firms or products directly to the public. Consequently, this has allowed some companies to specialize in data and analytics for pharmaceutical marketing. An example of this phenomenon is Yellowikis, to name one out of many.

                There have also been drastic improvements to the state of third-world countries. In China, the portion of the population living with a daily income of $1-$2 per day was decreased by 52% in 28 years. This was due to the country’s participation in the World Trade Organisation – and in effect, a direct participation in globalisation. Under the rules of the World Trade Organisation, a developing country has options for obtaining needed medications under compulsory licensing or importation of cheaper versions of the drugs, even before patent expiration.

Pharmaceutical companies often offer much needed medication at no or reduced cost to the developing countries. There have been numerous contributions in the past, with many more expected to follow. The ‘Marks Gift’ initiative donated billions of River Blindness drugs in Africa. There was also Pfizer’s gift of free or discounted Fluconazole and other drugs to combat AIDS in South Africa. GSK committed itself to give free Albenzadole tables for, and until, the elimination of lymphatic filariasis world-wide. Finally, in 2006, Novartis committed $755 million in corporate citizenship initiatives around the world, mainly focusing on improved access to medicines in the developing world through its access Medicine Projects. This included donation of medicine to patients affected by leprosy, tuberculosis and malaria; Glivec patient assistance programmes and relief to support major humanitarian organisations with emergency medical needs.

                 Even though it is certain that these charitable and humanitarian projects have saved and improved many lives world-wide, some acts by pharmaceutical companies are seen as either dangerous to human health or attempted tutelage of the market in certain geographic boundaries. In 1996, a paediatric clinical trial conducted on behalf of Pfizer tested the anti-biotic Trovan allegedly without first obtaining the informed consent of participants or their parents. This occurrence took place in Nigeria.

                Following up, proposals to allow the manufacture generic AIDS drugs among the industry’s many firms are without controversy. This is because it is feared this may cause a move in the pharmaceutical companies away from AIDS drugs research to focus on more profitable areas. This could be summed up as indirect blackmail by the pharmaceutical companies which may claim human lives in the future.

                 It is without doubt that globalisation has had a role and many effects to play on the pharmaceutical industry, as well as the public well-being around the globe. Despite some misgivings, it could be argues that many developments have been achieved in this particular industry, and as a result, benefited millions of people world-wide.

                 As Kofi Annan once said, “It has been said that arguing against globalisation is like arguing against the law of gravity.” It is confiding to know that the pharmaceutical industry’s compliance with this phenomenal force spawns far more positive results than the negative.

self study

TODAY I WAS DONE MY SELF STUDY BY SOLVING DIFFERENT EXERSIZE FROM EPACK -:ENGLISH FOR ACADEMIC PURPOSE AND I  ENJOYING MORE TO SOLVE PRESENTING QUIZ (DO YOU WANT TO BE A MILLIONAIRE) THIS IS VERY INTERESTING THAN OTHER.I ALSO DONE READING, LISTNING, GRAMMAR.

Monday, 19 January 2009

My First Draft

GLOBALISATION ITS EFFECT AND HOW MUCH IT  IS BENEFICIAL TO PHARMACEUTICAL SCIENCE




OUTLINE


 

 

1.     Introduction

2.     History of globalization and how it changes recently?

3.     Globalization of Pharmaceutical Science

 

 

INTRODUCTION

 

        GLOBALISATION, a term that was used infrequently before the 1990s, is now in common manner of speaking. It refers primarily to an economic system in which raw materials, manufactured goods, intellectual property and financial transactions flow freely (although not equally) across international borders under the supervision only of an international trade authority (David Ehrenfeld,2003). It also refers to the homogenization of language and cultural identity that accompanies this flux of material, ideas and money.

         This present wave of globalization has been motivated by policies that have opened economies domestically and internationally. In the years since the Second World War, and especially during the past two decades, many governments have adopted free-market economic systems, enormously increasing their own productive potential and creating myriad new opportunities for international trade and investment. Governments also have negotiated remarkable reductions in barriers to commerce and have established international agreements to promote trade in goods, services, and investment. Taking benefit of new opportunities in foreign markets, corporations have built foreign factories and established production and marketing arrangements with foreign partners. A defining feature of globalization, therefore, is an international industrial and financial business structure (Carnegie Endowment,2003).

           In the past quarter of a century, the pharmaceutical industry has undergone huge steps towards globalization. Pharmaceutical globalization has resulted in the creation of at least a couple of companies that have achieved nearly ten percent market shares. And ten percent of global pharmaceutical sales and revenue is not minute pickings.

         Globalization of the pharmaceutical industry actually is a fairly recent trend considering the overall existence of the industry. Globalization has occurred primarily through the merger of different pharmaceutical companies. These mergers have resulted in huge companies with operations spanning the entire globe.

          Advantages of globalization in pharmaceutical industries found in the area of research and development. Globalization has increased the revenue stream of pharmaceutical companies which these companies contend expands their ability to undertake significant research and development program. These companies argue that absent globalization and the significant revenue and profit streams enjoyed currently by pharmaceutical companies, these companies could not undertake research and development on the various drugs they are working on at this time. The companies contend that, for example, research on drugs to control or even rid the world of AIDS and HIV could not be undertaken absent the revenue currently flowing into the pharmaceutical industry in this day and age. One of the benefits of globalization has been to make certain drugs available to impoverished nations. The pharmaceutical industry contends that globalization has brought drugs that never would have reached these poorer countries medicines can be more readily available to end use consumers.




my first draft

Wednesday, 14 January 2009

EFEECTS OF GLOBALISATION

Effects of globalization

Globalization has various aspects which affect the world in several different ways such as:

  • Industrial - emergence of worldwide production markets and broader access to a range of foreign products for consumers and companies. Particularly movement of material and goods between and within national boundaries.
  • Financial - emergence of worldwide financial markets and better access to external financing for borrowers. Simultaneous though not necessarily purely globalist is the emergence of under or un-regulated foreign exchange and speculative markets.
  • Economic - realization of a global common market, based on the freedom of exchange of goods and capital.
  • Political - some use "globalization" to mean the creation of a world government, or cartels of governments (e.g. WTO, World Bank, and IMF) which regulate the relationships among governments and guarantees the rights arising from social and economic globalization. [13] Politically, the United States has enjoyed a position of power among the world powers; in part because of its strong and wealthy economy. With the influence of globalization and with the help of The United States’ own economy, the People's Republic of China has experienced some tremendous growth within the past decade. If China continues to grow at the rate projected by the trends, then it is very likely that in the next twenty years, there will be a major reallocation of power among the world leaders. China will have enough wealth, industry, and technology to rival the United States for the position of leading world power. [14].
  • Informational - increase in information flows between geographically remote locations. Arguably this is a technological change with the advent of fibre optic communications, satellites, and increased availability of telephone and Internet.
  • Language - the most popular language is English[15].
    • About 75% of the world's mail, telexes, and cables are in English.
    • Approximately 60% of the world's radio programs are in English.
    • About 90% of all Internet traffic uses English.
  • Competition - Survival in the new global business market calls for improved productivity and increased competition. Due to the market becoming worldwide, companies in various industries have to upgrade their products and use technology skillfully in order to face increased competition.[16]
  • Cultural - growth of cross-cultural contacts; advent of new categories of consciousness and identities which embodies cultural diffusion, the desire to increase one's standard of living and enjoy foreign products and ideas, adopt new technology and practices, and participate in a "world culture". Some bemoan the resulting consumerism and loss of languages. Also see Transformation of culture.
  • Ecological- the advent of global environmental challenges that might be solved with international cooperation, such as climate change, cross-boundary water and air pollution, over-fishing of the ocean, and the spread of invasive species. Since many factories are built in developing countries with less environmental regulation, globalism and free trade may increase pollution. On the other hand, economic development historically required a "dirty" industrial stage, and it is argued that developing countries should not, via regulation, be prohibited from increasing their standard of living.
  • Social (International cultural exchange) - increased circulation by people of all nations with fewer restrictions.
    • Spreading of multiculturalism, and better individual access to cultural diversity (e.g. through the export of Hollywood and Bollywood movies). Some consider such "imported" culture a danger, since it may supplant the local culture, causing reduction in diversity or even assimilation. Others consider multiculturalism to promote peace and understanding between peoples.
    • Greater international travel and tourism
    • Greater immigration, including illegal immigration
    • Spread of local consumer products (e.g. food) to other countries (often adapted to their culture).
    • Worldwide fads and pop culture such as PokémonSudokuNuma NumaOrigamiIdol seriesYouTubeOrkutFacebook, and MySpace. Accessible to those who have Internet or Television, leaving out a substantial segment of the Earth's population.
    • Worldwide sporting events such as FIFA World Cup and the Olympic Games.
    • Incorporation of multinational corporations in to new media. As the sponsors of the All-Blacks rugby team, Adidas had created a parallel website with a downloadable interactive rugby game for its fans to play and compete. [17]

Whilst it is all too easy to look at the positive aspects of Globalization and the great benefits that are apparent everywhere, there are also several negative occurrences that can only be the result of or major motivating factors that inspire some corporations to globalize.

Globalization – the growing integration of economies and societies around the world – has been one of the most hotly-debated topics in international economics over the past few years. Rapid growth and poverty reduction in China, India, and other countries that were poor 20 years ago, has been a positive aspect of globalization. But globalization has also generated significant international opposition over concerns that it has increased inequality and environmental degradation [18]

HISTORY OF GLOBALISATION

History

The term "globalization" has been used by economists since the 1980s although it was used in social sciences in the 1960s; however, its concepts did not become popular until the latter half of the 1980s and 1990s. The earliest written theoretical concepts of globalization were penned by an American entrepreneur-turned-minister Charles Taze Russell who coined the term 'corporate giants' in 1897.[6] Globalization is viewed as a centuries long process, tracking the expansion of human population and the growth of civilization, that has accelerated dramatically in the past 50 years. Early forms of globalization existed during the Roman Empire, the Parthian empire, and the Han Dynasty, when the Silk Road started in China, reached the boundaries of the Parthian empire, and continued onwards towards Rome. The Islamic Golden Age is also an example, when Muslim traders and explorers established an early global economy across the Old World resulting in a globalization of crops, trade, knowledge and technology; and later during the Mongol Empire, when there was greater integration along the Silk Road. Globalization in a wider context began shortly before the turn of the 16th century, with two Kingdoms of the Iberian Peninsula - the Kingdom of Portugal and the Kingdom of Castile.Portugal's global explorations in the 16th century, especially, linked continents, economies and cultures to a massive extent. Portugal's exploration and trade with most of the coast ofAfrica, Eastern South America, and Southern and Eastern Asia, was the first major trade based form of globalization. A wave of global tradecolonization, and enculturation reached all corners of the world. Global integration continued through the expansion of European trade in the 16th and 17th centuries, when the Portuguese and Spanish Empires colonized the Americas, followed eventually by France and Britain. Globalization has had a tremendous impact on cultures, particularly indigenous cultures, around the world. In the 15th century, Portugal's Company of Guinea was one of the first chartered commercial companies established by Europeans in other continent during the Age of Discovery, whose task was to deal with the spices and to fix the prices of the goods. In the 17th century, globalization became a business phenomenon when the British East India Company (founded in 1600), which is often described as the first multinational corporation, was established, as well as the Dutch East India Company (founded in 1602) and the Portuguese East India Company (founded in 1628). Because of the high risks involved with international trade, the British East India Company became the first company in the world to share risk and enable joint ownership of companies through the issuance of shares of stock: an important driver for globalization. Globalization was achieved by the British Empire (the largest empire in history) due to its sheer size and power. British ideals and culture were imposed on other nations during this period.

The 19th century is sometimes called "The First Era of Globalization." It was a period characterized by rapid growth in international trade and investment between the European imperial powers, their colonies, and, later, the United States. It was in this period that areas of sub-saharan Africa and the Island Pacific were incorporated into the world system. The "First Era of Globalization" began to break down at the beginning of the 20th century with the first World War. Said John Maynard Keynes[7],

The inhabitant of London could order by telephone, sipping his morning tea, the various products of the whole earth, and reasonably expect their early delivery upon his doorstep. Militarism and imperialism of racial and cultural rivalries were little more than the amusements of his daily newspaper. What an extraordinary episode in the economic progress of man was that age which came to an end in August 1914.

The "First Era of Globalization" later collapsed during the gold standard crisis in the late 1920s and early 1930s.

[edit]Modern globalization

Globalization, since World War II, is largely the result of planning by politicians to breakdown borders hampering trade to increase prosperity and interdependance thereby decreasing the chance of future war. Their work led to the Bretton Woods conference, an agreement by the world's leading politicians to lay down the framework for international commerce and finance, and the founding of several international institutions intended to oversee the processes of globalization.

These institutions include the International Bank for Reconstruction and Development (the World Bank), and the International Monetary Fund. Globalization has been facilitated by advances in technology which have reduced the costs of trade, and trade negotiation rounds, originally under the auspices of the General Agreement on Tariffs and Trade (GATT), which led to a series of agreements to remove restrictions on free trade.

Since World War II, barriers to international trade have been considerably lowered through international agreements - GATT. Particular initiatives carried out as a result of GATT and theWorld Trade Organization (WTO), for which GATT is the foundation, have included:

  • Promotion of free trade:
    • Reduction or elimination of tariffs; creation of free trade zones with small or no tariffs
    • Reduced transportation costs, especially resulting from development of containerization for ocean shipping.
    • Reduction or elimination of capital controls
    • Reduction, elimination, or harmonization of subsidies for local businesses
    • Creation of subsidies for global corporations
    • Harmonization of intellectual property laws across the majority of states, with more restrictions.
    • Supranational recognition of intellectual property restrictions (e.g. patents granted by China would be recognized in the United States)

Cultural globalization, driven by communication technology and the worldwide marketing of Western cultural industries, was understood at first as a process of homogenization, as the global domination of American culture at the expense of traditional diversity. However, a contrasting trend soon became evident in the emergence of movements protesting against globalization and giving new momentum to the defense of local uniqueness, individuality, and identity, but largely without success. [8]

The Uruguay Round (1986 to 1994)[9] led to a treaty to create the WTO to mediate trade disputes and set up a uniform platform of trading. Other bilateral and multilateral trade agreements, including sections of Europe's Maastricht Treaty and the North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA) have also been signed in pursuit of the goal of reducing tariffs and barriers to trade.

Global conflicts, such as the 9/11 terrorist attacks on the United States of America, is interrelated with globalization because it was primary source of the "war on terror", which had started the steady increase of the prices of oil and gas, due to the fact that most OPEC member countries were in the Arabian Peninsula.[10]

World exports rose from 8.5% of gross world product in 1970 to 16.1% of gross world product in 2001. [6]

[edit]