The important role of Drugs in human society

Improving both the individual quality of life and life expectancy. 1. Bacterial and virus infections: polio, smallpox, tuberculosis and related diseases have, to a very major extent, become minor public health concerns. 2. An increase in life expectancy resulting from drug therapy has also led to a shift in population demographics toward a more healthy, elderly population. 3. Drug regimens for birth control have improved individual life choices and the quality of life. 4. HIV protease and reverse transcriptase inhibitors for the treatment of HIV infections have changed a disease with a fatal prognosis to a potentially chronic one. 5. Cancer is also being viewed as a potentially chronic, rather than fatal disease with newer, non-cytotoxic approaches.