Pharmaceutical Industry

The pharmaceutical industry creates products that ameliorate and cure many diseases and conditions that affect the health of humans. The process of creating pharmaceuticals and bringing them to market includes several steps in research and development, clinical tests, manufacturing, packaging, marketing, and distribution. As part of this process, the [Page 370]pharmaceutical industry uses many chemicals and processes that create wastes, chemical syntheses, and by-products that can adversely impact the environment. The pharmaceutical industry is widely considered to be one of the most highly regulated existing commercial markets, with governmental oversight extending into aspects of research, product development, manufacturing, marketing, distribution, and sales. Until recently, however, much of this regulation has focused on the safety and reliability of the pharmaceuticals manufactured and not on the environmental ...