Abstract
<jats:p>The rapid transformation of healthcare systems in the twenty-first century has brought to the surface questions that used to be considered purely theoretical. Who is responsible for the final outcome of treatment? Where does medical law end and pharmaceutical law begin? Is it still adequate to regulate them separately when daily practice shows that medical decisions and pharmaceutical decisions are tightly interwoven? This book proposes to conceptualize medical and pharmaceutical law as a single, integrated approach to legal regulation, in which the central point of reference is not the institution, profession, or market actor, but the patient and the safety and effectiveness of their treatment. The proposed construct does not deny the specificity of medical and pharmaceutical subfields. Instead, it offers a systematic view of their interactions, overlaps, convergences and tensions. The text is intended for legal scholars, healthcare managers, regulators, clinicians, pharmacists, students of medical and pharmaceutical law, and all those who are involved in shaping modern health policy and regulation. It may also be of interest to patient advocates and civil society organizations that seek to understand how law can better protect patients in the complex reality of contemporary healthcare.</jats:p>