New medicines are always being discovered and developed. Their benefits are felt by people all over the world. But, while you can clearly see the improvements they make to millions of people's lives, there's a lot more to the pharmaceutical industry than most people realize.

Finding new cures and treatments for disease is just the beginning for new medicines. Before they make it to hospitals, or the shelves of local pharmacies, the pharmaceutical industry must make sure they're as safe and effective as possible. Only then can companies let doctors know about their benefits.

It's hard to imagine a world in which there are no antibiotics, no relief from common illnesses like asthma and diabetes, or hope of new treatment for fatal diseases. In 2000, pharmaceutical companies in the United States alone spent 2.9 billion dollars on pharmaceutical research and development - that's an investment of around 8 million every day. To put it in context, one fifth of all US industry-supported research and development comes from the pharmaceutical industry.

Money is nothing without the right talent to back it up though. But we're also lucky enou

On average, it takes around ten to twelve years and 350 million dollars to create a new medicine. Not only do we rely on the inspiration behind every new idea; every medicine must be rigorously tested at every stage of its development to make sure it's effective, reliable and has a minimal risk of any dangerous side effects. The process is so demanding, in fact, that only one in several thousand of the compounds that are considered for a treatment will actually reach the market. What it does mean, of course, is that every role is vital.

Phase I studies can last anything from a few days to a few weeks. In most cases the medicine will be tested on between 20 to 80 healthy volunteers. They are used to collect information about the metabolism of the medicine once it's been taken and the effect it has on the volunteer - particularly tolerability. This information is used to establish the dose which will be used in the next stage of testing.

Different organizations contribute in different ways. Some choose to focus on young people. One such company donates each year to an scheme which enables members of local secondary schools to attend an outward bound course designed to help them make new friends and learn more about their potential.

These are just some of the issues to contend with. Because, when a plan is in place and any new facilities built, staff will need to be trained and the teams structured to run and maintain the whole set up. Materials which come into the factory are tested to ensure that they meet the required specification and are then stored appropriately. And while all this is orchestrated, there has to be rigorous testing to make sure that the highest standards in quality are reached throughout the manufacturing process. Because before any batch of a medicine can be released for distribution, a Qualified Person (a specially trained scientist) must be satisfied that quality is assured.

Marketing staff will often work with external agencies to create effective advertising and promotional campaigns that do justice to the products on sale. Traditionally, key sales messages have centered on the rational benefits of a treatment. But increasingly, advertising and marketing are helping to create an emotional appeal as well. So it's possible to create an extremely powerful message that really conveys how the drug can improve someone's quality of life.

Others are involved in different initiatives. For example, one company organizes an annual Community Partnership Day during which its people help out with projects in the community. In 2000 this included giving a 'makeover' to numerous schools, recreation centers and nature areas up and down the country, and scientists returning to the classroom to bring science to life.

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Approximate Pages = 18 (250 words per page double spaced)