Medication has become increasingly important in the modern world. Whether prescribed or over-the-counter, many use drugs to control fertility, manage pain, offset the excesses of living and to lengthen life. What sort of industry is behind the creation of these drugs and how do they profitfrom it? This work delves into the complexity of commercial, ethical, social, political, and professional issues that permeate the relationship between the pharmaceutical industry and its host society. Case studies and policy changes in New Zealand are included in this discussion of a crucial areaof health studies.