This led to the practices of witchcraft, exorcism of demons, and belief in the influences of stellar bodies and even the will of the Gods of the time. This can be seen even today in the various religious places and bodies that practice faith healing. There was very little if no knowledge at all of medicines and medication or pharmaceuticals that we know of today which has all but changed or traded places with the mysterious.

The first proper systems of Medication known to man were introduced by the ancient Egyptians and it was a very advanced system that was the basis for medical systems that came in much later. In fact, they and the Babylonians used diagnosis, prognosis and examination as the foundation for treatment of illnesses way back in the 5th Century BC. The Medieval ages saw an improvement in surgical practices and the Renaissance saw an improvement in understanding anatomy and later with the invention of the microscope an understanding of how germs caused diseases was obtained.

In ancient times, it was the practice to use plants as the source of medication as pharmaceuticals were non-existant. Knowledge of the various species of plants and their medicinal properties became a science and systems of natural healing like ayurveda and herbalism developed and flourished. Over the years, with the shortage of herbs and medicinal plants, there came the need to synthesize their oils and extracts and after intense study and research, various drugs and pharmaceutical medications were developed. Many were in liquid form and inconvenient to store besides having a short shelf life. The need was felt to improve shelf life and storage and this led to the development of pills, capsules and powder forms of the medicines.

The Renaissance years saw the birth of just a couple of effective drugs in the form of opium and quinine but in the 19th century laboratory equipment and techniques were so highly advanced that microorganisms and bacteria were identified as the causes for sickness and bacteriology and virology became the new mantra for fighting diseases. Medical practices began to stress the importance of hygiene among physicians while treating patients and this itself significantly reduced the rate of death of expectant mothers. The next step was the use of antiseptic pharmaceuticals in the treatment of wounds, cuts and burns.

There is so much history in the evolution of medicine down the ages but of significance are publications by Charles Darwin and Gregor Mendel that would later form the foundation of classical genetics, the discovery of DNA would be the forerunner to molecular biology and modern day genetics, pasteurization by Louis Pasteur was the basis of modern day bacteriology.

Developments in pharmaceuticals for Patients who have undergone joint replacements – knee or hip or others, face the risk of blood clots – whereas breakthrough in cancer pain to help relieve symptoms is the sublingual spray – or the newer technology of ‘pain management’ through narcotic patches of varying concentration – are the latest. All of these have to be administered under strict medical supervision – as it can be misused also. The FDA’s oncologic drugs advisory committee is to review a new drug for non-hodgkin’s lymphoma. There are also break-throughs in cardiac surgery where a new drug ‘bridges’ a stent in cardiac surgery.

Medication is a very broad term and specific medication for specific conditions are usually prescribed by a doctor or a specialist or a family physician. There are also over the counter medications available which are safe and commonly used and do not need a prescription. Also there are on-line pharmacy medications available for people to browse through and select as for e.g. for allergies, a anti-histamine medication is generally prescribed which takes care of allergies. Though regular use of over-the-counter medication is not safe; and should not be encouraged, it does help in relieving symptoms which are of a minor nature. But the human body should not be tampered with and half-knowledge is more often harmful than otherwise.

Drug companies like Pfizer, Novartis, Cipla and others are also constantly trying to promote and introduce newer and better medications and drugs for various illnesses and treatments which are a help to mankind. Even the newer pain-management technique of narcotic patches needs very minute supervision and constant vigil – if used in greater concentration than required, it could lead to addiction. Even pharmacies play an important role in health care as a pharmacy is the health profession that links health sciences with chemical sciences and who provide safe and genuine medication for various illnesses.

Drug discovery and development in conjunction with pharmaceutical companies and medical professionals should be a constant endeavour to enhance and better the lives of those who are suffering from various illnesses and/or diseases like for e.g. the latest all drug resistant strain of tuberculosis for which a newer drug needs to be researched and introduced .

Pharmaceuticals are prescribed by the doctors for treating animals and human beings. The advanced technology and speedy improvement has influenced this industry a lot. Any drugs or medication go through research and testing before they are available in the market. In case the product is not tested it can have serious side effects. The drugs are tested on animals for its affectivity before selling it in the market. Any drugs cannot be sold in the market without the permission of Food and Drug administration.

These products have become the most important part of our lives. We can get information about medications through various websites. Medicinal products are available to cure almost all the problem we suffer from which is concerned to our health. People facing obesity problem can go in for medicinal product for weight loss. If you are suffering from any health problem, proper medication can improve your health. It is always necessary to consult your doctor before you go in for any drugs.

Some people do not have enough knowledge to read the information on the labels present on pharmaceutical products. It is very important to have the knowledge of reading the instructions, warnings and direction on the label. These labels also should contain the correct information so that risks like overdosing or any other risks can be prevented. Some companies claim a certain drug to cure certain health problems even if that product is not tested and this can misguide consumers. Some of the companies selling diet pills try to adopt this method of incorrect labelling to increase their sales.
Some drug companies also give incorrect information regarding the dosage of the drug. Ideally the dosage varies from children to adults. The drugs should always have instructions for any kind of allergies that are prone to happen in case a person is allergic to certain elements like egg, wheat protein etc. Any such incorrect information can be life threatening for consumers. The consumers need to be alert against any such information. Always consult a doctor before taking any drugs.

If anyone is planning to opt for sales in this industry, it is not necessary that you need a medical background. A degree from college (four years) is more than enough. Your hard pays you in this industry and you can achieve success by working hard. You need to have the skills to learn new things about this industry. Entry level is easy in this industry and your flair for sales can boost up our career in this industry. This industry is vast so just be mentally prepare to learn and this industry is for you.

The drugs are life savers and need to be sold with correct information and labelling. Drugs can help you get rid of health problems but if not taken as per instructions can worsen the things for you.

Basically, a Pharmaceutical Drug is referred to as medicine or medicatons, envisioned for use in cure, treatment or prevention of a disease. Medicines are broadly classified into two major categories:

• Prescriptive- These drugs should not be used, sold or bought without a doctor’s prescription. Such as anti-obesity, anti-asthmatic, anti-hypertensive, anti-migraine, anti-nausea, anti-viral, antibiotic, anti-psychotic etc.
• Non-prescriptive- These are also called over-the-counter medicines and are locally available. Such as Antacid, Aspirin, Analgesics, Antiseptics, anti-gas etc.

Medicines or Medications help in diagnosis and thereby prevention or curing of disease, for various reasons there a lot of medicines available over-the counter or by doctor’s advice. They are available in form of pills, capsules or syrup. They should be taken in the right quantity and right time to avoid hazardous effects on one’s health. Medicines should strictly be consumed under guidance of a general physician or a practitioner. They should be kept out of reach of children and measured quantity should be strictly followed specially when giving medicines to children or pregnant women.

Even prescribed medicines when abused or taken in excess quantities, have ill-effects not only on the women but also to the baby. There are few medications those are prescribed such as stimulants, pain relievers, depressants or tranquilizers or sedatives for specific reasons and conditions, but when they are misused they have precarious effects on one’s body. When we talk of drug addicts, any one could get addicted to a sedative or a pain killer and eventually these medicines do not have the required result on one’s body. Similar is the case with OTC drugs like cough and cold medication. Parents should always keep a strict vigil to children or even older children to avoid consumption of larger dose and that might lead to some serious adverse health consequences.

We all should be aware of what is happening in our surroundings and also should strive to increase our knowledge about the OTC medicines as those act as Save-Our-Sole. When a drug is prescribed we should ask about its storage conditions, also same thing should be kept in mind when purchasing a particular drug. There might be pharmaceuticals that need to be stored at a fixed temperature and the drug store hasn’t maintained it, like the air conditioning is switched off at night when the store is closed or you have forgotten to keep it in the refrigerator, or your medication was kept in a hot automobile or postal truck when delivered to you. So you should be very careful in storage of the medication and the labels should be studied carefully to avoid intake of expired medicines. In fact, out of date and expired medicines should be disposed of properly. Stay healthy and happy!