The Journal of Pharmaceutical Policy and Practice, formerly known as Southern Med Review, has transferred to BioMed Central. BioMed Central will support the journal (JoPPP) in its continued growth and development, and will promote the journal further to become a leading voice in the scientific dialogue surrounding global pharmaceutical policy. JoPPP is affiliated with The University of Auckland and Auckland UniServices Ltd.
In December 2008, Southern Med Review was started by Dr Zaheer Babar to promote pharmaceutical policy research at a global level. It was a biannual publication, and by December 2012 had published more than 70 papers with authors from 45 countries. The journal has been unique in publishing the work of new researchers and in debating pertinent pharmaceutical policy questions, and its work has been recognized at a global level. According to the World Health Organisation it fulfils a global need; for instance by publishing studies on the pharmaceutical situation of countries where little or no pharmaceutical literature is available, including Slovenia, Macedonia and Afghanistan.
Editor-in-Chief Dr Babar says: "The new journal will focus on a more global agenda, including high income economies, and will provide a platform for researchers to disseminate empirical research findings with the aim that people everywhere will have access to the medicines they need and use them rationally."
JoPPP encompasses all aspects of pharmacy whether clinical, social, administrative or economic, and provides a platform to researchers, academics and practitioners from around the world to share new evidence, concerns and perspectives.
Included in the relaunch issue are two research articles: The first article, Assessment of the therapeutic value of new medicines marketed in Australia by Vitry et al,. explores how the use of two classification systems could provide a simple and transparent way to better inform the public and health professionals of the therapeutic value of new medicines compared to existing products. Only a minority of new medicines marketed in Australia provide this information at present. In another article, Evaluating patients' perceptions regarding generic medicines in Jordan, Kayyali et al. demonstrate that Jordanian patients have a positive attitude towards generic medicines and also towards locally produced medicines and generic substitution over branded medicines. The authors believe the insights from this study will be useful to health organisations and policy makers considering how to use medicines cost-effectively in Jordan.
Deborah Kahn, BioMed Central's Publishing Director said, "BioMed Central is pleased to announce the transfer and relaunch of the Journal of Pharmaceutical Policy and Practice. The journal occupies a unique niche in global pharmaceutical policy research, and has been significant in documenting the pharmaceutical situation of countries globally. We are excited about the opportunity to support the continued development of the journal."
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Notes to Editors
1. Assessment of the therapeutic value of new medicines marketed in Australia Agnes Vitry, Huah Shin Ng, Pauline Vitre Journal of Pharmaceutical Policy and Practice 2013 6:2 Doi: 10.1186/2052-3211-6- 2
Evaluating patients' perceptions regarding generic medicines in Jordan
Faris El-Dahiyat, Reem Kayyali
Journal of Pharmaceutical Policy and Practice 2013 6:3 Doi: 10.1186/2052-3211-6-3
2. Journal of Pharmaceutical Policy and Practice (formerly known as Southern Med Review) is an open access, peer-reviewed journal. It provides a platform for researchers to disseminate empirical research findings, with the aim that people everywhere have access to the medicines they need and use them rationally. Journal of Pharmaceutical Policy and Practice encompasses all aspects of pharmacy whether clinical, social, administrative or economic, and provides a platform to researchers, academics and practitioners from around the world to share new evidence, concerns and perspectives.
3. BioMed Central is an STM (Science, Technology and Medicine) publisher which has pioneered the open access publishing model. All peer-reviewed research articles published by BioMed Central are made immediately and freely accessible online, and are licensed to allow redistribution and reuse. BioMed Central is part of Springer Science+Business Media, a leading global publisher in the STM sector. @BioMedCentral
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Journal of Pharmaceutical Policy and Practice