Prescription drugs are a basic and invaluable part of society today, but there is debate surrounding the methods of testing new drugs, the possible misuse of prescription drugs, and the economics of drug production and use. This book examines the evolution of prescription drugs in the United States, as well as the formation of the pharmaceutical industry. It begins with a history of prescription drugs, dating back to their origins, then moves through the Industrial Revolution and into the present day. It also delves into the issues and controversies related to prescription drugs, such as drug costs, regulations, prescription drug abuse, insurance complications, and more. Both implemented and proposed solutions are also discussed. One of the most valuable aspects of the book is that it surveys the history of prescription drugs in a manner that helps the reader identify key issues in an easy-to-understand fashion. Finally, the perspectives chapter allows a broad range of voices to be heard, allowing crucial, diverse perspectives to round out the author's expertise.

Table of Contents:
Preface, 1 Background and History, Drug Basics, Drug Sources, Drug Types, Drug Nomenclature, The Drug Approval Process, Preclinical Testing, Clinical Testing, FDA Approval, Unapproved Drugs, Orphan Drugs, Prescription Drugs in History, The History of Pharmaceutics, Narcotics, Opiates, Semi-Synthetic Opioids, Synthetic Opioids, Monitoring of Drug Use, Conclusion, References, 2 Problems, Controversies, and Solutions, Testing New Drugs, Animal Experimentation, Human Experimentation, Testing Biases, Reforming Drug Trial Inequities, Prescription Drug Abuse, Types of Prescription Drugs of Abuse, Stimulants, CNS Depressants, Opioids, The Cost of Prescription Drugs, The Data, Causes, Corporate Expenses and Profits, Other Causes, Possible Solutions, Conclusion, References, 3 Perspectives, Introduction, The Cork Board, Kyle Citrin, Clay Knibbs, and Carter Soboleski Climate Change and Prescription Drugs: The Impacts of Increased Temperature on Public Health, Shel Evergreen Drug Discovery: A Twentieth-Century Story of Scientific Curiosity, Persistence, and Creative Guesswork, Margaret Willig Crane Will Naloxone Become a Real "Superhero"?, Randolph Fillmore Drugs and the Professional Bodybuilder, Kenzie Gauck The Significance of Statistics, Joel Grossman Prescription Drug Ads That Target Consumers, Phill Jones The Human Brain, Maia Pujara The Second-Best Time, Thomm Quackenbush Sick Full Time, Marissa Quenqua The Drug Supply Chain and the United States, Bob Roehr Can Information Technology Help Curb Prescription Drug Abuse?, Jeremy Summers 4 Profiles, Alliance for Safe Online Pharmacies, Bayer AG, Drug Enforcement Administration, Carl Durham (1892–1974), Hubert Humphrey (1911–1978), Paul Janssen (1926–2003), Kaiser Family Foundation, William Proctor Jr. (1817–1874), Friedrich Sertürner (1783–1841), Alexander "Sasha" Shulgin (1925–2014), Daniel B. Smith (1792–1883), 5 Data and Documents, Data, Table 5.1. Urban-Rural Differences in Drug Overdose Death Rates, by Sex, Age, and Type of Drugs Involved, 1999–2017, Table 5.2. Strategies Used by U.S. Adults to Reduce Cost of Prescription Drugs, 2013–2017, Table 5.3. Descriptive Statistics on Prescription Drug Prices for Select Countries, 2018, Table 5.4. Median Total Cost of Top-Selling Brand-Name Drugs, 2012–2017, Table 5.5. Prescription Drug Use in the Past 30 Days, by Sex, Race and Hispanic Origin, and Age: United States, Selected Years 1988–1994 through 2013–2016, Table 5.6. Trends in Use of One or More Prescription Drugs in the Past 30 Days, by Age, 2007–2016, Table 5.7. Most Commonly Used Prescription Drug Types in the Past 30 Days, by Age Group, 2015–2016, Documents, Durham-Humphrey Amendment (1951), Controlled Substances Act (1970), Orphan Drug Act of 1983, Drug Price Competition and Patent Term Restoration Act (1984), Prescription Drug Marketing Act of 1987, State Doctor Shopping Laws (1990/2011), Prescription Drug User Fee Act (1992), Animal Drug Availability Act (1996), Ryan Haight Online Pharmacy Consumer Protection Act of 2008, FDA Bad Ad Program (2010), United States ex rel. Michael Mullen v. AmerisourceBergen Corporation, et al. (2018), American Patients First (2018), Generic Drugs: Questions & Answers (2018), Association for Accessible Medicines v. Frosh (2018), Medicare Prescription Drug Coverage (2020), The American Hospital Association v. Azar (2020), 6 Resources, Books, Articles, Reports, Internet, 7 Chronology, Glossary, Index,