Protection of the Rights of Disabled People to Access Medicines

Abstract

Today, disabled people remain one of the most vulnerable categories of the population in any region of the world. Access to safe, high-quality, and effective medicines as a key element of social well-being among disabled people remains a priority of the international agenda and national policy. The right of access to medicines among disabled people is not directly specified in any international document on the protection of the rights of the disabled, which certainly affects the availability of medicines for this population in various regions of the world. The article examines the main international legal documents in the protection of the rights of the disabled for access to health care services, analyzes the practice of implementing programs for drug provision for people with disabilities in the US and Russia, and outlines the main directions for improvement of public policy in this area.