Fachbeiträge

The pharmaceutical industry represents an important branch of western economies. In 2008, the total world market for pharmaceutical products amounted to US$ 773 bn. Moreover, the industry implies also important economic stimuli in terms of national income and workplaces. Due to the pharmaceutical companies’ demand for investment goods and other supplies, for Germany, it was found out that for each direct employee 1.63 indirect workplaces are created. In several countries the industry looks back on a very long and prosperous history of developing new drugs. Not for nothing, especially Germany boasted itself for a long time to be the “world’s drugstore”. This is also true for other countries with a stronghold in innovative pharmaceuticals such as Switzerland, the UK, or the US.