Research and Publications

Salud y Fármacos has conducted and published research on doctor-patient communication, strategies for improving the appropriate use of medications in the community, patient compliance with treatment regimens, changes in the pharmaceutical industry, evaluation of programs to improve medication access, and pharmaceutical policies of international agencies.  ​​The codes of conduct and ethics of the pharmaceutical industry and professional associations of doctors and pharmacists were collected in 2006, and an analysis of these documents was presented that same year at international conferences in Brazil and Argentina.

Recent projects

Salud y Fármacos has promoted research on the regulation and operations of pharmacies in Latin America, and in 2008 contacted researchers in the region to prepare chapters for a book which was completed in 2009 and published in 2011 by Lugar Editorial (Buenos Aires) with the title La farmacia, los farmacéuticos y el uso adecuado de medicamentos en América Latina.  

In addition, Salud y Fármacos has also coordinated through RELEM the following activities: a book on ethics and clinical trials in Latin America, which will also be published by the Lugar Publishing House with the title Ensayos Clínicos y Ética en América Latina; a multicenter study on clinical trials conducted by CROs in Latin America, more specifically in Argentina, Brazil and Peru. The project was funded WEMOS Foundation and SOMO (both Dutch organizations) and Salud y Fármacos own resources. In August 2011 we were asked to write a lead article for a debate on Clinical Trials by Salud Colectiva. The debate can be accessed in Spanish at http://www.unla.edu.ar/public/saludColectivaNuevo/publicacion20/index.php

Salud y Fármacos is currently preparing two projects: (1) to study informed consents and (2) to document the performance of research ethics committees. Salud y Farmacos continues to develop infrastructure for the establishment of Clinical Trial Observatories in the region.

Selected publications of associates of Salud y Fármacos (articles not available in the Internet can be requested from authors):

Olave-Quispe S. La investigación trasnacional: Contexto y Horizontes Éticos. In: Casado M, Luna F (eds) Cuestiones de Bioética en/desde Latinoamérica. Civitas-Thomson Reuters, Spain (in Press) 2012.

Olave-Quispe S, Fuentes-Delgado D, Minaya-Martínez G, Surco-Ibarra R, Yagui-Moscoso M, Espinoza-Silva M, Senent-de-Frutos JA, Homedes N. The Development and Validation of a Guide for Peruvian Research Ethics Committees to assist in the Review of Ethical-Scientific Aspects of Clinical Trials. In: J J. Schildmann et al. (eds.) Human Medical Research Ethical, Legal and Socio-Cultural Aspects. Springer Basel AG 2012 (in press) DOI: 10.1007/978-3-0348-0390-8,

Ugalde A, Homedes N. Cuatro palabras sobre ensayos clínicos: ciencia/negocio, riesgo/beneficio. Salud Colectiva (Argentina) 2011; 7(2): 133-146.  http://www.unla.edu.ar/public/saludColectivaNuevo/publicacion20/index.php

Ugalde A, N Homedes.  Medicamentos para lucrar: la transformación de la Industria Farmacéutica. Salud Colectiva. 2009;5(3): 305-322.

http://www.unla.edu.ar/public/saludColectivaNuevo/publicacion15/index.php

Ugalde A, Homedes N. Discrepancies around Helsinki 2008: are we missing the point? Clinical Trials Magnifierhttp://www.clinicaltrialmagnifier.com/ 2009; 2(2):107-111 Translated into Spanish and published in Boletín Farmacos 2009; 12(5). http://www.saludyfarmacos.org/boletin-farmacos/boletines/nov2009/ensayos-clinicos-investigaciones/

Homedes N, Madurga M  Regulación de los Medicamentos. In Girona L, Rovira J, Homedes N  (Eds) Globalización Del Sector Farmacéutico: Innovación y Acceso. Barcelona: Icaria.  2009: 29-46.

Homedes N, Ugalde A La industria farmacéutica innovadora y la política de medicamentos en  EE.UU. In Girona L, Rovira J, Homedes N  (Eds) Globalización Del Sector Farmacéutico: Innovación y Acceso. Barcelona: Icaria.  2009: 123-158.

Garrafa, V, Lorenzo C. Helsinque 2008:reduçäo de proteçäo e maximizaçäo de interesses privados. Rev. Assoc. Med. Bras., 2009; 55 (5):514-518. ISSN 0104-4230
http://www.scielo.br/pdf/ramb/v55n5/10.pdf

Garrafa, Volnei and Lorenzo, Claudio Moral imperialism and multi-centric clinical trials in peripheral countries. Cad. Sade Pblica, 2008; 24 (10): 2219-2226. ISSN 0102-311X
http://www.scielo.br/pdf/csp/v24n10/03.pdf

Lorenzo, C. O consentimento livre e esclarecido e a  realidade do analfabetismo funcional no Brasil: uma abordagem para a norma e para além da norma, Revista Bioética 2007 15 (2): 268-82 http://seer.cfm.org.br/index.php/revista_bioetica/article/viewFile/47/50

Ugalde A, N Homedes. From scientists to merchants: the transformation of the pharmaceutical industry and its impact on health. Societies Without Borders 2006; 1 (1): 21-40

Lorenzo, C. Los instrumentos normativos en Ética de la investigación seres humanos en América Latina: análisis de su potencial eficacia En Keyeux C, Penzchaszade V, y Saada A. Etica de la Investigacion en Seres Humanos y Politicas de Salud Publica. Bogotá UNESCO. Red Latinoamericana y del Caribe: Universidad Nacional de Colombia. Instituto de Genética ca, 2006 pp 167-190  http://unesdoc.unesco.org/images/0015/001512/151255s.pdf

Homedes N, A Ugalde.  Improving Access to Pharmaceuticals: The cases of Brazil and Argentina.  Health Policy and Planning. 2006; 21 (2):123-131

Ugalde A, Homedes N, Orchuela J. ¿Producir o Remediar?: La experiencia Argentina en la provisión pública de medicamentos desde un análisis cualitativo. (To produce or to distribute: the argentinean experience in public production of pharmaceuticals – a qualitative análisis). In M.L. Magalhã Bosi and F.J. Mercado, eds. Avaliação Qualitativa de Programas de Saúde. Enfoques Emergentes.  Petrópolis: Editora Vozes. 2006; 257-280

Homedes N, A Ugalde and J Rovira Forns.  The World Bank, Pharmaceutical Policies and Health Reforms in Latin America.  International Journal of Health Services 2005;20 (4):691-717. Translated and published in Boletin Fármacos 2006; 9 (5). http://www.saludyfarmacos.org/boletin-farmacos/boletines/nov2006/investigaciones92006d/

Homedes N, A Ugalde.  Multisource Drug Policies in Latin America: survey of 10 countries. WHO Bulletin. 83:64-70. Translated and published in Spanish in Boletin Farmacos 2005; 8 (1) http://www.saludyfarmacos.org/boletin-farmacos/boletines/ene2005/investigaciones/

Homedes N and A Ugalde. Improving the Use of Pharmaceuticals through Patient and Community Level Interventions.  Social Science and Medicine2001;52: 99-134.

Homedes N, A Ugalde and C Chaumont.  Scientific Evaluations of Interventions to Improve the Adequate Use of Pharmaceuticals in Third World Countries.  Public Health Reviews  2001; 29: 207-230.

Homedes N and A Ugalde.  Research on patients’ compliance in developing countries.  Bulletin of the Panamerican Health Organization 28, (1): 17-33. (Translated in Spanish and published in El Boletín de la Oficina Sanitaria Panamericana, 1994, 116 [6] 491-517).

Ugalde A, N Homedes.  Household Storage of Pharmaceuticals in Costa Rica.  In Medicines Meanings and Contexts.  In Nina L. Etkin and Michael L. Tan (Ed).  Health Action Information Network (9 Cabanatuan Road, Philam Homes, Quezon City 1104, Philippines) and Medical Anthropology Unit at the University of Amsterdam (anthropological Sociological Center, Oudezijds Achterburgwal 185, 1012 DK, Amsterdam). 1994; 165-183.

Homedes N, A Ugalde.  Patients’ Compliance with Medical Regimens in the Third World, What do we know? Health Policy and Planning, 1993; 8 (4): 291‑314. (Translated into Spanish and published in Boletín de la Oficina Sanitaria Panamericana. 1994, 116 [6] 518-534).

Ugalde A, N Homedes.  Medicines and Rural Health Services: an Experiment in the Dominican Republic. In S. van der Geest and R. Whyte (eds). The Context Of Medicines In Developing Countries:  Studies In Pharmaceutical Anthropology.  Kluwer Academic Publishers. 1988: 57‑79.