Most people need medicine at some point in their lives. It’s this fact that drives the pharmaceutical industry and makes it one of the most profitable industries today. So much goes into the making of a single pharmaceutical product before it even goes on the shelves, including research, manufacturing, clinical trials, and marketing. Readers discover these stages of development and learn what happens when a wonder drug turns out to have deadly side effects. They’ll read facts and figures that will surprise them, such as the first drugstore dating back to the eighth century. Readers will also learn about the future of pharmaceuticals on the Internet and the effects of recent government guidelines. Business may be booming, but competition between pharmaceutical companies is fierce. They’re always on the lookout for the next product that may change our lives forever.