The word pharmaceutical can be an adjective or a noun. As an adjective, it describes anything related to the manufacture and sale of medicines. As a noun, it refers to a compound manufactured for use as a medicinal drug. A pharmaceutical is not the same as a drug in the broadest sense. It is a drug that has been developed, tested, approved, and produced under regulatory standards. Aspirin from a willow tree is a drug. Aspirin from a factory is a pharmaceutical.

Pharmaceuticals come in many forms and classes. They include small molecules, biologics, vaccines, and advanced therapies like gene and cell therapies. They are produced under good manufacturing practice, tested for quality and purity, and packaged with approved labeling. The industry that makes them is global, research-intensive, and heavily regulated. It is also highly profitable, though the cost of development and the risk of failure are enormous. Most drugs that enter clinical trials never reach the market.

Types of pharmaceuticals:

• Small molecules. Traditional chemical drugs, usually oral.
• Biologics. Proteins, antibodies, and nucleic acids, usually injected.
• Vaccines. Biological preparations that induce immunity.
• Advanced therapies. Gene therapies, cell therapies, tissue-engineered products.

The pharmaceutical sector employs millions of people worldwide, from bench scientists to regulatory affairs specialists to sales representatives.