Abstract
Drugs can be obtained from many sources such as plants, animals, minerals or microorganisms. However, most drugs are synthetically produced in the laboratory, as they can be produced on a larger scale, in a more cost effective manner and be of higher quality. It is important to know the sources of drugs as patients can develop hypersensitivity reactions to certain drug source. Some patients (based on their religious beliefs) also prefer not to use drugs obtained from bovine or porcine sources. Drug development and trials in animals and humans is a long and costly process. This process is essential to determine that the new drug is safe for human consumption. Drugs should be packaged in a manner that protects the active ingredient from deterioration due to external factors. Drugs should also be labeled with sufficient information to enable the determination of the exact content of the active ingredient, its storage conditions and manufacturing details.
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Further Reading
Adams CP, Brantner VV. Spending on new drug development. Health Econ. 2010;19(2):130–41.
Liljefors T, Krogsgaard-Larsen P, Madsen U, editors. Textbook of drug design and discovery, Third Edition (Forensic Science). 3rd ed. New York: Taylor & Francis; 2002.
Pharmaceutical Inspection Co-operation Scheme Secretariat. Guide to good manufacturing practice for medicinal products. Geneva 2009. Available from: http://www.tga.gov.au/pdf/manuf-pics-gmp-medicines-annexes.pdf. Last accessed 13th June 2014.
World Health Organization. WHO Technical Report Series, No. 902, 2002, Annex 9, Guidelines on packaging for pharmaceutical Products. Geneva 2002.
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Lai, P.S.M. (2015). Pharmaceutical Aspects of Drugs. In: Chan, Y., Ng, K., Sim, D. (eds) Pharmacological Basis of Acute Care. Springer, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-10386-0_8
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-10386-0_8
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