The interest in the use of pharmaceuticals has grown as many governments pursue to "rationalize" the use of medicines. This book is a compilation of 16 articles about problems relating to the use of medicines in different parts of the world.

The first section deals with perceptions and interpretations of pharmaceuticals, emphasizing the need to understand these interpretations as they relate to other understandings of health and illness.

The second section focuses on the use of injections to move the discussion to the broader social milieu that shapes the meanings of medicines. The third section deals with the accessibility of pharmaceuticals and how they are managed in households.

The fourth section offers applied perspectives, showing how research can be used to evaluate drug programs, including interventions that seek to promote more appropriate use of medicines.

The book ends with an overview that explores key issues for evaluating social and cultural aspects of drug use. This book reveals the wide range of research paradigm and methodologies that can be used in examining the use of medicines, and in the search for appropriate policies to address the problems.