| The purpose of using drugs is to relieve symptoms, treat infection, reduce the risk of future disease, and destroy selected cells such as in the chemotherapeutic treatment of cancer. The best treatment, however, may not require a drug at all. Recognizing that no effective medication exists is just as important as knowing which one to select. |
| The transdermal application of drugs provides an alternate method for applying drugs to achieve a systemic, rather than local, effect. The administration of a drug through the skin not only minimizes the metabolism of the drug before it reaches the rest of the body but also eliminates the high and low blood levels associated with oral... |
| Study of the factors that influence the movement of drugs throughout the body is called pharmacokinetics, which includes the absorption, distribution, localization in tissues, biotransformation, and excretion of drugs. The study of the actions of the drugs and their effects is called pharmacodynamics. Before a drug can be effective, it must be... |
| The U.S. pharmaceutical industry failed to benefit from a more conservative Congress in 1996. The industry's long-sought reform of the Food and Drug Administration was not enacted. After the U.S. elections in November, it seemed clear that any future reform legislation would be moderate. |
| Even before 1993 drew to a close, it brought down a deluge of bad news on the heads of U.S. pharmaceutical industry executives. The image of the big companies as blue-chip, inevitably profitable cash cows for investors was smashed. The first blow was delivered by Pres. Bill Clinton's national health plan, which presented a real threat to... |
