Pharmaceuticalization of Society in Context: Theoretical, Empirical and Health Dimensions
Open accessAbstract
Sociological interest in pharmaceuticals has intensified, heightening awareness of ‘pharmaceuticalization’. It is argued that pharmaceuticalization should be understood by reference to five main biosociological explanatory factors: biomedicalism, medicalization, pharmaceutical industry promotion and marketing, consumerism, and regulatory-state ideology or policy. The biomedicalism thesis, which claims that expansion of drug treatment reflects advances in biomedical science to meet health needs, is found to be a weak explanatory factor because a significant amount of growth in pharmaceuticalization is inconsistent with scientific evidence, and because drug innovations offering significant therapeutic advance have been declining across the sector, including areas of major health need. Some elements of consumerism have undermined pharmaceuticalization, even causing de-pharmaceuticalization in some therapeutic sub-fields. However, other aspects of consumerism, together with industry promotion, medicalization, and deregulatory state policies are found to be drivers of increased pharmaceuticalization in ways that are largely outside, or sub-optimal for, significant therapeutic advances in the interests of public health.
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These underlying brain phenomena do much to shape, as well as respond to, higher-level romantic experiences across a wide range of theoretical conceptions.
“Although love is not simply reducible to these brain chemicals or pathways—and although there are many different theories of love, including how it should be defined—what is clear by now is that these underlying phenomena do much to shape (as well as to respond to) our higher-level romantic experiences, across a wide range of theoretical conceptions.”
From The Medicalization of Love (2015) · cites this paper as [23]
Brain chemicals such as oxytocin, dopamine, testosterone, and many others seem to regulate interpersonal drives and emotions, including the formation of romantic pair-bonds.
“Brain chemicals such as oxytocin, dopamine, testosterone, and many others seem to regulate our interpersonal drives and emotions, including the formation of romantic pair-bonds.”
From The Medicalization of Love (2015) · cites this paper as [23]
Underlying human romantic attachment is a collection of interlocking brain systems hypothesized to have evolved to suit the reproductive needs of our ancestors.
“Underlying human romantic attachment is a collection of interlocking brain systems that are hypothesized to have evolved to suit the reproductive needs of our ancestors.”
From The Medicalization of Love (2015) · cites this paper as [23]
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- Authors
- Abraham, J.
- Affiliations
- University of Sussex (GB)
- Corresponding author
- Abraham, John
- ORCID
- Abraham, John
- Venue
- Sociology
- Publisher
- SAGE Publications
- Published
- 2010-08
- Volume
- 44
- Issue
- 4
- Pages
- 603-622
- ISSN
- 0038-0385 (ISSN-L)
- 1469-8684
- OpenAlex
- W2119567800
- Cited by
- 480
- References
- 81
- Citations by year
- 2026: 29 · 2025: 32 · 2024: 18 · 2023: 31 · 2022: 46 · 2021: 27 · 2020: 49 · 2019: 34 · 2018: 47 · 2017: 27 · 2016: 38 · 2015: 33 · 2014: 34 · 2013: 12 · 2012: 16
- FWCI
- 11.28
- Type
- journal article
- Language
- en
- Open access
- green
- figshare.com
- Locations
- Sociology (publishedVersion)
- Figshare (submittedVersion, cc-by)
- Research Portal (King's College London) (submittedVersion)
- Funders
- Medical Research Council
- Economic and Social Research Council
- Topics
- Life Sciences › Pharmacology, Toxicology and Pharmaceutics › Pharmacology › Pharmaceutical industry and healthcare
- Social Sciences › Economics, Econometrics and Finance › Economics and Econometrics › Pharmaceutical Economics and Policy
- Health Sciences › Health Professions › General Health Professions › Health, Medicine and Society
- Keywords
- pharmaceuticalization, medicalization, pharmaceutical industry promotion, pharmaceutical marketing, consumerism, drug regulation, deregulation, therapeutic innovation
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