Academic Journal
Reimagining the regulation of informal pharmaceutical markets: The importance of pragmatic expertise and improvisation in Nigeria.
| Τίτλος: | Reimagining the regulation of informal pharmaceutical markets: The importance of pragmatic expertise and improvisation in Nigeria. |
|---|---|
| Συγγραφείς: | Klantschnig G; School for Policy Studies, University of Bristol, Bristol, UK. Electronic address: gernot.klantschnig@bristol.ac.uk., Nelson EU; Centre for Research and Information on Substance Abuse, Uyo, Nigeria. Electronic address: degreatnelson@yahoo.com. |
| Πηγή: | Social science & medicine (1982) [Soc Sci Med] 2026 May; Vol. 396, pp. 119119. Date of Electronic Publication: 2026 Feb 21. |
| Τύπος έκδοσης: | Journal Article |
| Γλώσσα: | English |
| Στοιχεία περιοδικού: | Publisher: Pergamon Country of Publication: England NLM ID: 8303205 Publication Model: Print-Electronic Cited Medium: Internet ISSN: 1873-5347 (Electronic) Linking ISSN: 02779536 NLM ISO Abbreviation: Soc Sci Med Subsets: MEDLINE |
| Imprint Name(s): | Original Publication: Oxford ; New York : Pergamon, c1982- |
| Ιατρικοί όροι (MeSH): | Drug Industry*/legislation & jurisprudence , Drug Industry*/economics , Commerce*/legislation & jurisprudence , Government Regulation* , Informal Sector*, Nigeria ; Humans ; Anthropology, Cultural |
| Περίληψη: | Informal pharmaceutical markets have become an issue of major concern for international agencies and national governments, including in Nigeria, due to reports about 'fake drugs'. These concerns have at times fostered severe regulatory responses, including violent crackdowns on informal markets. This study reimagines the regulation of informal pharmaceutical markets in ways that could promote drug quality and equitable access to drugs, drawing on the concepts of improvisation and pragmatic expertise, as well as on long-term ethnographic and interview-based research in two of South-Western Nigeria's major informal pharmaceutical markets (n = 82). Our data reveals conflicts between regulatory agencies (dominated by trained pharmacists) and informal market actors, characterised by attempts to control informal markets through re-spatialisation. Data also shows how claims about fake drugs in informal markets help to frame the key problematic of pharmaceutical markets as that of drug quality, thus upholding the role and powers of regulators and expert pharmacists. Informal market actors challenged accusations of fake drugs, emphasising the availability and affordability of essential drugs through their markets and self-regulation efforts, including through informal collaborations with state regulators. In contrast to recent policy initiatives and recent research, our findings show how institutional prioritisation of drug quality may unintentionally undermine other important health objectives, such as access to essential drugs, through regulatory processes that seek to contain informal markets within narrow institutional agendas. Our study reimagines the regulation of informal pharmaceutical markets by highlighting the importance of improvisation in regulatory approaches and the role of pragmatic expertise shared among regulators and informal market actors. (Copyright © 2026 The Authors. Published by Elsevier Ltd.. All rights reserved.) |
| Entry Date(s): | Date Created: 20260226 Date Completed: 20260709 Latest Revision: 20260709 |
| Update Code: | 20260711 |
| DOI: | 10.1016/j.socscimed.2026.119119 |
| PMID: | 41747634 |
| Βάση Δεδομένων: | MEDLINE |
| FullText | Links: – Type: other Url: https://resolver.ebsco.com:443/public/rma-ftfapi/ejs/direct?AccessToken=4DAE9A3F3966049428A7&Show=Object Text: Availability: 0 CustomLinks: – Url: https://www.doi.org/10.1016/j.socscimed.2026.119119? Name: ScienceDirect (all content) (s7799221) Category: fullText Text: View record from ScienceDirect MouseOverText: View record from ScienceDirect |
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| Items | – Name: Title Label: Title Group: Ti Data: Reimagining the regulation of informal pharmaceutical markets: The importance of pragmatic expertise and improvisation in Nigeria. – Name: Author Label: Authors Group: Au Data: <searchLink fieldCode="AU" term="%22Klantschnig+G%22">Klantschnig G</searchLink>; School for Policy Studies, University of Bristol, Bristol, UK. Electronic address: gernot.klantschnig@bristol.ac.uk.<br /><searchLink fieldCode="AU" term="%22Nelson+EU%22">Nelson EU</searchLink>; Centre for Research and Information on Substance Abuse, Uyo, Nigeria. Electronic address: degreatnelson@yahoo.com. – Name: TitleSource Label: Source Group: Src Data: <searchLink fieldCode="JN" term="%228303205%22">Social science & medicine (1982)</searchLink> [Soc Sci Med] 2026 May; Vol. 396, pp. 119119. <i>Date of Electronic Publication: </i>2026 Feb 21. – Name: TypePub Label: Publication Type Group: TypPub Data: Journal Article – Name: Language Label: Language Group: Lang Data: English – Name: TitleSource Label: Journal Info Group: Src Data: <i>Publisher: </i><searchLink fieldCode="PB" term="%22Pergamon%22">Pergamon </searchLink><i>Country of Publication: </i>England <i>NLM ID: </i>8303205 <i>Publication Model: </i>Print-Electronic <i>Cited Medium: </i>Internet <i>ISSN: </i>1873-5347 (Electronic) <i>Linking ISSN: </i><searchLink fieldCode="IS" term="%2202779536%22">02779536 </searchLink><i>NLM ISO Abbreviation: </i>Soc Sci Med <i>Subsets: </i>MEDLINE – Name: PublisherInfo Label: Imprint Name(s) Group: PubInfo Data: <i>Original Publication</i>: Oxford ; New York : Pergamon, c1982- – Name: SubjectMESH Label: MeSH Terms Group: Su Data: <searchLink fieldCode="MM" term="%22Drug+Industry%22">Drug Industry*</searchLink>/<searchLink fieldCode="MM" term="%22Drug+Industry+legislation+%26+jurisprudence%22">legislation & jurisprudence</searchLink> <br /><searchLink fieldCode="MM" term="%22Drug+Industry%22">Drug Industry*</searchLink>/<searchLink fieldCode="MM" term="%22Drug+Industry+economics%22">economics</searchLink> <br /><searchLink fieldCode="MM" term="%22Commerce%22">Commerce*</searchLink>/<searchLink fieldCode="MM" term="%22Commerce+legislation+%26+jurisprudence%22">legislation & jurisprudence</searchLink> <br /><searchLink fieldCode="MM" term="%22Government+Regulation%22">Government Regulation*</searchLink> <br /><searchLink fieldCode="MM" term="%22Informal+Sector%22">Informal Sector*</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="MH" term="%22Nigeria%22">Nigeria</searchLink> ; <searchLink fieldCode="MH" term="%22Humans%22">Humans</searchLink> ; <searchLink fieldCode="MH" term="%22Anthropology%2C+Cultural%22">Anthropology, Cultural</searchLink> – Name: Abstract Label: Abstract Group: Ab Data: Informal pharmaceutical markets have become an issue of major concern for international agencies and national governments, including in Nigeria, due to reports about 'fake drugs'. These concerns have at times fostered severe regulatory responses, including violent crackdowns on informal markets. This study reimagines the regulation of informal pharmaceutical markets in ways that could promote drug quality and equitable access to drugs, drawing on the concepts of improvisation and pragmatic expertise, as well as on long-term ethnographic and interview-based research in two of South-Western Nigeria's major informal pharmaceutical markets (n = 82). Our data reveals conflicts between regulatory agencies (dominated by trained pharmacists) and informal market actors, characterised by attempts to control informal markets through re-spatialisation. Data also shows how claims about fake drugs in informal markets help to frame the key problematic of pharmaceutical markets as that of drug quality, thus upholding the role and powers of regulators and expert pharmacists. Informal market actors challenged accusations of fake drugs, emphasising the availability and affordability of essential drugs through their markets and self-regulation efforts, including through informal collaborations with state regulators. In contrast to recent policy initiatives and recent research, our findings show how institutional prioritisation of drug quality may unintentionally undermine other important health objectives, such as access to essential drugs, through regulatory processes that seek to contain informal markets within narrow institutional agendas. Our study reimagines the regulation of informal pharmaceutical markets by highlighting the importance of improvisation in regulatory approaches and the role of pragmatic expertise shared among regulators and informal market actors.<br /> (Copyright © 2026 The Authors. Published by Elsevier Ltd.. All rights reserved.) – Name: DateEntry Label: Entry Date(s) Group: Date Data: <i>Date Created: </i>20260226 <i>Date Completed: </i>20260709 <i>Latest Revision: </i>20260709 – Name: DateUpdate Label: Update Code Group: Date Data: 20260711 – Name: DOI Label: DOI Group: ID Data: 10.1016/j.socscimed.2026.119119 – Name: AN Label: PMID Group: ID Data: 41747634 |
| PLink | https://search.ebscohost.com/login.aspx?direct=true&site=eds-live&db=cmedm&AN=41747634 |
| RecordInfo | BibRecord: BibEntity: Identifiers: – Type: doi Value: 10.1016/j.socscimed.2026.119119 Languages: – Code: eng Text: English PhysicalDescription: Pagination: StartPage: 119119 Subjects: – SubjectFull: Nigeria Type: general – SubjectFull: Humans Type: general – SubjectFull: Anthropology, Cultural Type: general – SubjectFull: Drug Industry legislation & jurisprudence Type: general – SubjectFull: Drug Industry economics Type: general – SubjectFull: Commerce legislation & jurisprudence Type: general – SubjectFull: Government Regulation Type: general – SubjectFull: Informal Sector Type: general Titles: – TitleFull: Reimagining the regulation of informal pharmaceutical markets: The importance of pragmatic expertise and improvisation in Nigeria. Type: main BibRelationships: HasContributorRelationships: – PersonEntity: Name: NameFull: Klantschnig G – PersonEntity: Name: NameFull: Nelson EU IsPartOfRelationships: – BibEntity: Dates: – D: 01 M: 05 Text: 2026 May Type: published Y: 2026 Identifiers: – Type: issn-electronic Value: 1873-5347 Numbering: – Type: volume Value: 396 Titles: – TitleFull: Social science & medicine (1982) Type: main |
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