Pharmaceutical studies: scope and limitations of an emerging field of inquiry
Abstract
The pharmaceutical studies have recently gained momentum as a field of theoretical and empirical research focusing on the characterization of the predominant role that the pharmaceutical industry and drugs play in contemporary societies.This article discusses the origins and reviews the main research studies that have pioneered this field and discusses the major theoretical developments that support its specificity. Thus three key axes that have contributed to the field are reviewed: 1) the establishment of a tradition of social studies on the pharmaceutical industry and drugs 2) the characterization as an object of analysis and research of scientific and technological practices that support drug development and distribution onto markerts 3) the creation of theoretical concepts to account for the transforming power of the pharmaceutical industry and its products. Finally, the scope and limitations of this new field of inquiry are discussed.
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