The lectures will focus on the following topics: The official Pharmacopoeia and the obligations deriving from it for the pharmacist. Raw materials for pharmaceutical use. Auxiliary substances and packaging materials. The main technological processes involved in the production of the various pharmaceutical forms. Quality control. The main Iegislative rules concerning the life cycle of medicines and medical devices. The Italian Health Organization and the National Health Service. The pharmaceutical market: structures and regulation of the dispensation of medicines. The socio-economic impact of pharmaceutical assistance and legislative measures for government spending.