- Email: [email protected]
Alcohol policy and the public good
Book reviews/Health Policy 34 (1995) 73- 78
75
munication with the client are handled in a very pragmatic way and are a must for everyone who takes social pharmacy seriously. The last chapters are again somewhat fragmentary and theoretical. - Chapter 12 (the relations with other health professionals and influencing treatment schemes) are materials for even more voluminous books. (It is surprising that almost nothing is said about such recent phenomena as generics and/or substitution, copayments and reimbursement limitation, prescription guidelines, peer reviews, etc.). - Chapter 13 is quite brief and unrelated. It is debatable whether some English particularities of the industry (PPRS, self-regulation, negotiating position, etc.) can simply be extrapolated to EFPIA or IFPMA. - Hospital pharmacy (Chapter 14) remains necessarily vague and incomplete. Because of their socio-economical impact, other references should be consulted. - To conclude (Chapters 15 and 16) teaching, learning and training are mentioned as essential for the further working-out of social pharmacy. Fortunately, this book touches on these issues, but it remains a too brief ‘finishing touch’. In sum, this book offers a serious and instructive vision on the societal obligations and merits of the strongly changing pharmaceutical profession. It is a must for pharmacy students and all partners involved in health care policies. The latter will miss some chapters on the relationships and insurers and the impact of the ongoing internationalisation and rationalisation of drug distribution. These might also strongly influence social pharmacy during the next decades. F. Peys, Director Belgian Institute Health Economics Brussels Belgium
Alcohd Policy and the Public Good G. Edwards et al. (Eds.) Oxford Medical Publications, ISBN O-19-262561-6
Oxford, 226 pp., STa14.95,
1994
This book is the result of a joint effort of 17 scientists from nine countries who worked together during a period of two years under the leadership of G. Edwards of the Addiction Research Unit of the National Addiction Centre in London. The 17 authors collaborated in the Alcohol and Public Policy Project, set up by a contract with the European Off& of the World Health Organization in Copenhagen. The text represents a consensus view of the contributing authors. Chapter 1 is an introductory problem formulating chapter. Part one presents a
76
Book reviews/Health
Policy
34 (1995)
73-78
series of contributions which review important areas of epidemiological research. Within this section Chapter 2 analyses global trends in alcohol consumption and drinking patterns, and identifies some of the social and cultural factors which may bring about changes in drinking behaviour over time. In Chapter 4 population drinking and the aggregate risk of alcohol problems are discussed. Part 2 reports on research of the efficacy of different strategies. Chapter 5 examines the effectiveness of taxation of alcohol beverages as a preventive strategy. The impact of measures which try to control the individual’s access to alcohol are reviewed in Chapter 6. Measures which have been directed at prevention of drinking in specific contexts (particularly drink-driving), are given attention in Chapter 7. Chapter 8 examines research on strategies which are directed at changing drinking behaviour through influence on relevant attitudes. Chapter 9 explores the role of treatment within the totality of public health responses to alcohol. These reviews of basic and applied research, lead up to Chapter 10, which seeks to determine how science can usefully contribute to the empowering of public policy. Multiple options are identified and assessedand a view is presented on how strategies may be combined with a national, flexible and integrated policy response. In Appendix 1, a number of priority research themes are mentioned. The book gives an impressive critical overview of the extent and nature of alcoholrelated problems and of a wide range of policy choices including pricing, ecological measures, education and treatment. The authors present convincing arguments for the possibility of an effective public health policy related to alcohol problems. The book is important, not only for policy makers and researchers in the health sector, but also in many other sectors, such as welfare, education, employment, trade, traffic safety, the judicial system and the mass media. Professor Dr. J. Casselman Catholic University of Leuven University Psychiatric Center St-Kamillus Bierbeek Belgium
S. Hung and A. Spends (Eds.) . bcIecaul3an Press, Loudon, 171 pp., STCXl2.99, mm o-333-60877- 1
1995
I hope that no one is put off by the sauffy title of this book. There is nothing remotely stuffy about this ‘Private Eye’ account of midwives and their practice of mim in a modern hospital. Anthea Symonds is a sociologist. In the style of Ger-
75
munication with the client are handled in a very pragmatic way and are a must for everyone who takes social pharmacy seriously. The last chapters are again somewhat fragmentary and theoretical. - Chapter 12 (the relations with other health professionals and influencing treatment schemes) are materials for even more voluminous books. (It is surprising that almost nothing is said about such recent phenomena as generics and/or substitution, copayments and reimbursement limitation, prescription guidelines, peer reviews, etc.). - Chapter 13 is quite brief and unrelated. It is debatable whether some English particularities of the industry (PPRS, self-regulation, negotiating position, etc.) can simply be extrapolated to EFPIA or IFPMA. - Hospital pharmacy (Chapter 14) remains necessarily vague and incomplete. Because of their socio-economical impact, other references should be consulted. - To conclude (Chapters 15 and 16) teaching, learning and training are mentioned as essential for the further working-out of social pharmacy. Fortunately, this book touches on these issues, but it remains a too brief ‘finishing touch’. In sum, this book offers a serious and instructive vision on the societal obligations and merits of the strongly changing pharmaceutical profession. It is a must for pharmacy students and all partners involved in health care policies. The latter will miss some chapters on the relationships and insurers and the impact of the ongoing internationalisation and rationalisation of drug distribution. These might also strongly influence social pharmacy during the next decades. F. Peys, Director Belgian Institute Health Economics Brussels Belgium
Alcohd Policy and the Public Good G. Edwards et al. (Eds.) Oxford Medical Publications, ISBN O-19-262561-6
Oxford, 226 pp., STa14.95,
1994
This book is the result of a joint effort of 17 scientists from nine countries who worked together during a period of two years under the leadership of G. Edwards of the Addiction Research Unit of the National Addiction Centre in London. The 17 authors collaborated in the Alcohol and Public Policy Project, set up by a contract with the European Off& of the World Health Organization in Copenhagen. The text represents a consensus view of the contributing authors. Chapter 1 is an introductory problem formulating chapter. Part one presents a
76
Book reviews/Health
Policy
34 (1995)
73-78
series of contributions which review important areas of epidemiological research. Within this section Chapter 2 analyses global trends in alcohol consumption and drinking patterns, and identifies some of the social and cultural factors which may bring about changes in drinking behaviour over time. In Chapter 4 population drinking and the aggregate risk of alcohol problems are discussed. Part 2 reports on research of the efficacy of different strategies. Chapter 5 examines the effectiveness of taxation of alcohol beverages as a preventive strategy. The impact of measures which try to control the individual’s access to alcohol are reviewed in Chapter 6. Measures which have been directed at prevention of drinking in specific contexts (particularly drink-driving), are given attention in Chapter 7. Chapter 8 examines research on strategies which are directed at changing drinking behaviour through influence on relevant attitudes. Chapter 9 explores the role of treatment within the totality of public health responses to alcohol. These reviews of basic and applied research, lead up to Chapter 10, which seeks to determine how science can usefully contribute to the empowering of public policy. Multiple options are identified and assessedand a view is presented on how strategies may be combined with a national, flexible and integrated policy response. In Appendix 1, a number of priority research themes are mentioned. The book gives an impressive critical overview of the extent and nature of alcoholrelated problems and of a wide range of policy choices including pricing, ecological measures, education and treatment. The authors present convincing arguments for the possibility of an effective public health policy related to alcohol problems. The book is important, not only for policy makers and researchers in the health sector, but also in many other sectors, such as welfare, education, employment, trade, traffic safety, the judicial system and the mass media. Professor Dr. J. Casselman Catholic University of Leuven University Psychiatric Center St-Kamillus Bierbeek Belgium
S. Hung and A. Spends (Eds.) . bcIecaul3an Press, Loudon, 171 pp., STCXl2.99, mm o-333-60877- 1
1995
I hope that no one is put off by the sauffy title of this book. There is nothing remotely stuffy about this ‘Private Eye’ account of midwives and their practice of mim in a modern hospital. Anthea Symonds is a sociologist. In the style of Ger-