Pharmaceuticals

Extracted Attributes

• Purpose

  Used to diagnose, cure, treat, or prevent disease

• Key Controversies

  Drug pricing and disposal of used medications

• Preparation Forms

  Solutions (spirits, elixirs, tinctures), semisolid preparations (ointments, creams, pastes, jellies), solid forms (pills, tablets, lozenges, suppositories)

• Regulatory Aspects

  Governments regulate marketing and, in some jurisdictions, pricing

• Development Process

  Complex, expensive, often involves collaboration and partnering

• Industry R&D Spending

  More than 15% of net sales (highest among industries)

• Classification Methods

  By prescription status (prescription vs. over-the-counter), mode of action, route of administration, biological system affected, chemical group, therapeutic use

Timeline

• Founding of the Society of Apothecaries in London, marking an early step in modern pharmaceutical preparation. (Source: Web Search Results (Britannica))

  1617-XX-XX

• Morphine was first used as an anesthetic. (Source: Web Search Results (Britannica))

  1804-XX-XX

• Strychnine was isolated. (Source: Web Search Results (Britannica))

  1817-XX-XX

• Quinine was isolated. (Source: Web Search Results (Britannica))

  1820-XX-XX

• Nicotine was isolated. (Source: Web Search Results (Britannica))

  1828-XX-XX

• Ether was first used as an anesthetic. (Source: Web Search Results (Britannica))

  1842-XX-XX

• Chloroform was first used as an anesthetic. (Source: Web Search Results (Britannica))

  1847-XX-XX

• Cocaine was first used as an anesthetic. (Source: Web Search Results (Britannica))

  1860-XX-XX

• Joseph Lister first used phenol (carbolic acid) to prevent infection. (Source: Web Search Results (Britannica))

  1865-XX-XX

Medication

Medication (also called medicament, medicine, pharmaceutical drug, medicinal product, medicinal drug or simply drug) is a drug used to diagnose, cure, treat, or prevent disease. Drug therapy (pharmacotherapy) is an important part of the medical field and relies on the science of pharmacology for continual advancement and on pharmacy for appropriate management. Drugs are classified in many ways. One of the key divisions is by level of control, which distinguishes prescription drugs (those that a pharmacist dispenses only on the medical prescription) from over-the-counter drugs (those that consumers can order for themselves). Medicines may be classified by mode of action, route of administration, biological system affected, or therapeutic effects. The World Health Organization keeps a list of essential medicines. Drug discovery and drug development are complex and expensive endeavors undertaken by pharmaceutical companies, academic scientists, and governments. As a result of this complex path from discovery to commercialization, partnering has become a standard practice for advancing drug candidates through development pipelines. Governments generally regulate what drugs can be marketed, how drugs are marketed, and in some jurisdictions, drug pricing. Controversies have arisen over drug pricing and disposal of used medications.

Web Search Results

• Pharmaceutical | Description, Types, Preparation, & Facts - Britannica

  Pharmaceuticals are generally classified by chemical group, by the way they work in the body (pharmacological effect), and by therapeutic use. Alkaloids were the first pure pharmaceuticals derived from natural substances (plants); they include quinine, nicotine, cocaine, atropine, and morphine. Drugs of animal origin include glandular extracts containing hormones, such as insulin for use in treating diabetes. [...] In the preparation of dosages, many pharmaceuticals are ground to varying degrees of fineness. Many medicinal substances are added to water, alcohol, or another solvent so that they can be used in solution form. These may include spirits, elixirs, and tinctures. Ointments are one of many semisolid preparations, which also include creams, pastes, and jellies. Solid pharmaceuticals include pills, tablets, lozenges, and suppositories. In this form the compounds are more stable, with less risk of [...] have begun in 1617 with the founding of the Society of Apothecaries in London. Among the earliest modern pharmaceuticals were the anesthetics; morphine was first used in about 1804, ether in 1842, chloroform in 1847, and cocaine in 1860. Other substances isolated in the 19th century included strychnine (1817), quinine (1820), and nicotine (1828). Joseph Lister first used phenol (carbolic acid) to prevent infection in 1865.

• Medication - Wikipedia

  Pharmaceuticals or drugs or medicines are classified into various other groups besides their origin on the basis of pharmacological properties like mode of action and their pharmacological action or activity,[\[8\]]( such as by chemical properties, mode or route of administration, biological system affected, or therapeutic effects. An elaborate and widely used classification system is the Anatomical Therapeutic Chemical Classification System (ATC system). The World Health Organization keeps a [...] Medication (also called medicament, medicine, pharmaceutical drug, medicinal product, medicinal drug or simply drug) is a drug used to diagnose, cure, treat, or prevent disease.[\[1\]]( Drug therapy (pharmacotherapy) is an important part of the medical field and relies on the science of pharmacology for continual advancement and on pharmacy for appropriate management. [...] Pharmaceuticals may also be described as "specialty", independent of other classifications, which is an ill-defined class of drugs that might be difficult to administer, require special handling during administration, require patient monitoring during and immediately after administration, have particular regulatory requirements restricting their use, and are generally expensive relative to other drugs.[\[9\]]( Types of medicines ------------------ \[edit\]

• Pharmaceutical industry - Wikipedia

  Pharmaceutical companies may deal in generic drugs, branded drugs, or both, in different contexts. Generic materials are without the involvement of intellectual property, whereas branded materials are protected by chemical patents. The industry's various subdivisions include distinct areas, such as manufacturing biologics and total synthesis. The industry is subject to a variety of laws and regulations that govern the patenting, efficacy testing, safety evaluation, and marketing of these drugs. [...] The pharmaceutical industry has faced extensive criticism for its marketing practices, including undue influence on physicians through pharmaceutical sales representatives, biased continuing medical education, and disease mongering to expand markets. Pharmaceutical lobbying has made it one of the most powerful influences on health policy, particularly in the United States. There are documented cases of pharmaceutical fraud, including off-label promotion and kickbacks, resulting in multi-billion [...] pharmaceuticals and biotechnology industry spends more than 15% of its net sales for Research & Development which is in comparison with other industries by far the highest share.(

• Six Strategies to Address Pharma Industry Trends in 2024 - Korn Ferry

  The pharmaceutical market is undergoing a profound transformation, shaped by external forces and internal dynamics. These pharma industry trends include downward price pressure on pharma patent values from the Inflation Reduction Act, declining M&A deal values, and rising life sciences salaries. The upside potential for new therapies has decreased, with payers becoming more selective and pressuring manufacturers. Physicians are becoming less inclined to entertain meetings with multiple

• Next in pharma 2025: The future is now - PwC

  A look at pharma’s recent performance underscores the need for bold action. Our PwC equal-weight index of 50 pharma companies analyzes the sector’s total shareholder returns performance relative to the S&P 500 Equal Weighted Index. From 2018 through November 2024, the PwC pharma index returned 7.6% to shareholders, compared with more than 15% for the S&P 500. Over the last year, this dynamic became even more pronounced with the PwC pharma index returning 13.9% compared to 28.7% for the S&P [...] Search Show full breadcrumb HomeIndustriesPharmaceutical and Life SciencesNext in pharma 2025 Menu Featured insights Featured insights 2025 Global Digital Trust Insights SurveyBoard governance issuesC-suite insightsCase studiesESGPolicy on DemandPodcastsPwC Executive PulseTech EffectWebcastsAll Research and insights Menu Featured insights 2025 Global Digital Trust Insights Survey Menu Featured insights Board governance issues Menu Featured insights C-suite insights [...] Further, since 2018, an increasingly limited set of companies have influenced positive returns in the pharmaceuticals sector. Within the S&P 500, the so-called “Magnificent 7” accounted for 40% of the increase in value since 2018. In the pharma industry, this dynamic is even more stark with just two companies accounting for nearly 60% of the increase in value growth among the 50 pharma companies analyzed by PwC. For those outside of this group, 2025 is the year to consider what changes could

• Award

  DOAJ seal

• Country

  Switzerland

• Instance Of

  Q737498