Did you know that billions of doses of prescription medicines are filled every year in the United States? This is obviously a lot of prescription drugs.
This should be inspiring for want considering a career in medicine. In fact, you should schedule a tour of a pharmaceutical manufacturing site. But before you do, there are a few things you must know.
Here we take a look at some interesting facts about the pharma industry that might surprise you. Keep reading to learn more about what happens during manufacturing for pharmaceutical companies.
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The Pharmaceutical Industry
Quality treatments for serious illnesses aren’t created by accident. Producing these products requires billions of dollars in research and development.
The production process covers a period of years. The industry boasts thousands of professionals who’ve dedicated their lives to providing the best possible prescription drugs.
The Drug Manufacturing Process
The drug manufacturing process transforms raw materials into products. These products are then used to treat medical conditions. This requires the use of specific powders to ensure consistency and accuracy.
The manufacturing process utilizes a wide range of non-active ingredients. The non-active ingredients get combined with active ingredients to create a specific dosage.
The pharma industry uses many processes to ensure accuracy in its products. This includes 2 types of granulation, hot-melt extrusion, and the use of dry ice to cool drugs for reaction selectivity. It also uses a range of technology to ensure maximum accuracy during the production process. Temperature sensors are one such example, and you can read an article on cryogenic temperatures sensors here for more information.
The Different Types of Pharmaceutical Drugs
It’s important to understand that pharmaceutical drugs fall into many different categories. They are broken down into various classification systems.
For example, the World Health Organization created a system called the ATC, or Anatomical Therapeutic Chemical Classification System, to categorize drugs based on 5 levels.
- Level 1 describes the focus of treatment.
- Level 2 describes the therapeutic effect of the drug.
- Level 3 describes the mechanism of action produced by the drug.
- Level 4 describes the general chemical properties of each drug.
- Level 5 describes the chemical components.
Keep in mind that this system helps doctors and other medical staff do their jobs. This information is not designed for use by patients.
The Testing Process
Every prescription drug goes through a rigorous testing process. The process helps ensure the safety and effectiveness of the product. This includes a pre-clinical trial period designed to study the drugs for toxicity. Next, each drug goes through structured clinical trials that must meet DSCSA compliance.
Here’s a resource where you can learn about DSCSA compliance.
Things to Know About Pharmaceutical Manufacturing
It’s no secret that the average person consumes a wide variety of medications. This includes meds for the common cold to prescription drugs for serious illnesses that can make the difference between life and death. Fortunately, the pharmaceutical manufacturing industry produces the drugs you need.
Continue exploring the incredible library of articles listed on this blog to discover more content filled with unique lifestyle and health-related tips and advice for your family.
