The pharmaceutical industry is in meltdown. We constantly hear of eye watering drug prices, shortages, litigation over damaging side effects, dodgy marketing practices, economic adulteration, consent decrees, counterfeiting, patent games, price gouging, and much, much more...

How can this be right? The short answer is, it's not.

But, how did it get to this? What can be done about it? This book answers those questions.

Pharma got in this state because pharmaceutical companies were seduced by science, twice. Firstly, by the myth that is penicillin, and secondly, by a battle between two stomach ulcer drugs in the 1980s. Those seductions led the industry to believe the route to riches lay in patenting molecules, and clever sales and marketing. The result is what we see today, marketing muscle-pushing brands on healthcare professionals, and patent law suits between already rich pharma behemoths arguing over their share of the spoils.

Whilst this is not the first time this has been said - there are so many books knocking the industry - none offer a solution to the problems....

Until now; and it is a very simple solution.

We should stop believing medicines are different to all other products on sale in the market, because they are not. Yes, science is an important component in bringing a medicine to the world, but it takes a healthy dose of engineering skills to get them there too, and the application of those skills is sadly lacking in pharma. The system for producing and supplying a medicine to market should be no different to an aero-engine, automobile or silicon chip.