Pharmaceuticals as new technology: the driving forces

Technological change within society now includes the development, introduction, promotion and management of new drug therapy. This was not always the case as the previous 'object-centred' view of technology considered that drug therapy development was external to social relationships and as it was therefore 'outside human control' could not correctly be considered as technology. The annual growth in recurrent government expenditure on pharmaceuticals has risen from 6.6% (1984-85 to 1989-90) to 8.2% (1989-90 to 1995-96). Driving factors which affect the new technology include technologist control over demand, economic self-perception by those technologists (prescribers), marketing to maximise shareholder profit, gender, social status, poverty, the need to consume, and legal challenge to governments. A Marxist analysis of driving forces in a capitalist society is presented to indicate that the Pharmaceutical Benefits Scheme which was introduced to guarantee equity of access to drug therapy, may now be in danger of becoming an agent of capital. (author abstract)