The sociology of pharmaceuticals as a “subfield” within the sociology of medicine

Abstract

_{The aim of the article is to outline the subfield within the sociology of medicine which British sociologists called the sociology of pharmaceuticals. It contains: 1) the processes of medication and pharmaceuticalisation, 2) the social context of drug regulation, 3) marketing practices of the pharmaceutical industry, 4) social expectations regarding pharmaceutical innovations, and 5) drug consumption. The article will discuss the emergence and development of the sociology of pharmaceuticals, and a review of research in this area will be made. Finally, arguments will be presented showing the usefulness of the term sociology of pharmaceuticals in research on the social consequences of drug use and the process of pharmaceuticalisation.}