Journal of Pharmacovigilance

Abstract

Methodology for Health Policy Development: Introductory Paper

Rajamohanan K Pillai

Health policy is the frame work on which decisions for improvement of health status of people are made. This paper details the importance and issues regarding health policy development and discusses the methodological issues regarding health policy development. Most of the works in this area are quoted and methodological issues cited. After introducing the topic describing the need for health policy, there is description on the various perspectives in which the academia views it and also says what a health policy is. The steps of policy development cycle are described. This review article describes the health policy development cycle and discusses the methodological issues related it. The paper further stress on evidence based health policy followed by a description on the lessons to be learned from other policy development attempts in the past. The paper concludes saying the challenges for an effective health policy development and implementation.