Abstract
Rationale: Founded in 2009, HSRI’s Drug System Research Program has been operated as research granter and manager. In response to continual changes in Thailand’s drug system and its environment, it is necessary to revise the research direction and also enhance the Program’s management capability. Objectives: 1) to propose research direction and questions those help strengthen the Thai drug system; 2) to conduct a review of HSRI’s Drug System Research Program since its establishment in 2009; and 3) to make recommendations to the HSRI concerning drug system research management over the next five years. Methods: This study was conducted during November 2021 to June 2022. Qualitative approaches, namely document analysis, in-depth interview, and focus group discussion were involved. Results: 1. Research direction for Thailand’s drug system: over the next five years, priority should be given to research in six areas: 1) Governance of the drug system, 2) ‘pharmaceutical management and care’ to catch up the transforming health service delivery, 3) Medication literacy, 4) Roles of civil society in drug policy development and implementation, 5) Drug system and disasters /public health emergency, and 6) Development of drug industry for the country’s self reliance. 2. Review of HSRI’s Drug System Research Program: The Program’s focus was on research management at the program and organization level, without formal mechanism to gather and prioritize research questions from policymakers and stakeholders. A framework for drug system research was set annually, but some elements were left without submission from researchers. Most of the research grants were given to address the issue of rational drug use and antimicrobial resistance. Additionally, different tactics were employed in order to encourage research utilization. 3. Recommendations for drug system research management: over the next five years, HSRI should pay attention to managing drug system research at country level. The following actions should be taken: 1) Enhancing the capability of research managers, 2) Learning from past experiences of HSRI and other organizations, 3) Setting a clear definition and scope of “drug system research”, 4) Analysing the landscape of the country’s drug system research, and 5) Building drug system research capacity. Conclusion: The landscape of drug system research in Thailand is complex, as different groups of actors have a role in evidence generation and utilization. This means that national research strategy and effective governance mechanism are required, in order to pursue not only policy-relevant research with high quality, but also efficient use of resources.
