Introduction to the Handbook of Pharmaceutical Science and Technology Studies

Conor M. W. Douglas, Susi Geiger, Tineke Kleinhout-Vliek, Paul Martin and Sarah Wadmann

A chapter in Handbook of Pharmaceutical Science and Technology Studies, 2026, pp 2-18 from Edward Elgar Publishing

Abstract: Pharmaceuticals have emerged as a crucial feature of contemporary Western biomedicine with impacts felt globally that extend beyond healthcare contexts. The interdisciplinary field of Science and Technology Studies (STS) has long focused on the significance of pharmaceuticals in the organization of healthcare systems and society, as well as the social, economic, and regulatory processes involved in their research, development, and production. Consolidating the field of pharmaceutical STS, this Handbook provides in depth analyses of the socio-technical processes of pharmaceutical knowledge production, manufacturing, market dynamics, governance, and everyday (mis)use. In this chapter, we introduce the 28 substantive contributions to this Handbook that collectively embody constructively critical engagement with the global dynamics of the pharmaceutical sector. This includes its dominant models of innovation as well as myriad alternatives. Moreover, this introductory chapter sets an agenda for pharmaceutical STS. Future work may attend to knowledge needs related to the ongoing and concurrent development of globalized pharmaceutical trade and political emphasis on national independence; the transformative potential of digitalization and other technological innovation in the pharmaceutical sector; and the more-than-human effects of pharmaceuticals, notably including their environmental impacts.

Keywords: Pharmaceutical STS; Globalization; Financialization; Medical innovation; Political economy of pharma; Agenda for future STS research (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2026
ISBN: 9781035338443
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