Literature-based causal loop diagrams of patent management process in pharmaceutical industry

In competitive environment of the pharmaceutical industry new inventions and patents are the key points. In order to be one step further from their rivals, the companies invest to R&D efforts and try to find new inventions. At this moment, patents are an important point to recoup the investment. So the companies lobby for the more strict patent law to prevent imitation. Thus even in the developing countries, they have to invest R&D and invent new products to be able to survive in the market. All of these happenings increase the importance of the patents and patent management day by day. Also this situation can lead to Turkish pharmaceutical industry to invest R&D or have patent licenses of other firms' products increasingly. In scope of this study, it was concluded that in patent management, research capability, reaching knowledge, productivity of R&D efforts, strength of patent management in a country, drug prices and R&D expenses are important parameters which should be considered in decisions related with patents and choosing the strategies regarding them. Key Words: patent, patent management, R&D, innovation, drug price