Prescription Drugs: A Reference Handbook

by David E. Newton

Overview

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.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9798216396819
Publisher:	Bloomsbury Academic
Publication date:	12/11/2025
Series:	Contemporary World Issues
Pages:	360
Product dimensions:	6.00(w) x 9.00(h) x 1.00(d)

About the Author

David E. Newton is the author of more than 400 textbooks, encyclopedias, workbooks, and other educational materials, primarily in the field of science and math.

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
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
The Cost of Prescription Drugs
- The Data
- 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