evidence: Benischke and Bhaskarabhatla studied the conditions under which firms were likely to violate price controls – regulatory mandates under which firms are not allowed to charge above a certain price for a certain medicine – for essential medicines in India. Access to essential medicines is viewed as a human right; however, despite decades-long efforts by the World Health Organisation, rising medicine prices continue to pose a significant challenge, especially in low- and middle-income countries such as India. Indian authorities introduced price controls for 255 essential medicines to combat increasing prices and ensure essential medicines are affordable for the population. But the researchers knew from anecdotal evidence that these price controls in India were unsuccessful. In some countries, policymakers have attempted to improve access to essential medicines; price controls are one of the mechanisms they use. As Benischke and Bhaskarabhatla observed, pharmaceutical firms play a critical role in global efforts to ensure affordable access to essential medicines.