Pharmaceutical benefits and free trade: trouble ahead for subsidised medicines in Australia?

We have reason to worry about the FTA, argues Ken Harvey. The principles of the agreement focus entirely on the rights of manufacturers of innovative pharmaceutical products, neglecting the rights of consumers to gain access to affordable drugs. The agreement leaves out the key principle that trade agreements should be interpreted and implemented to protect public health and promote universal access to medicines. And the crucial role of generic manufacturers in protecting public health is not mentioned in the FTA