this book covers a wide range of topics pertaining to the pharmaceutical industry, e.g., the economic performance of firms in the industry, the marketing practices of pharmaceutical companies, and the economics of the health care environment within which the industry operates. the expected effect of the book will be to show the number of significant unresolved issues that must be dealt with before legislative 'solutions' are attempted. the opening chapter considers governmental control of drugs and its effect on the drug industry. the discussions that follow deal with: the development of the ethical drug industry, with particular attention to the current market structure of the industry; the issue of how well the industry has contributed to the promotion of public health; the changing research and development environment, with attention to the economic effect of the changed environment on the industry's technological environment; the concept of profitability; and the future of the medical-care industry in the united states. the concluding discussion deals with such areas as the consequences of profit or price controls and with generic and brand-name drug prescribing