Cronin GroupNot long ago I peered into the
old technological crystal ball and saw a future in which
advancements in 3D printing revolutionize not just manufacturing,
but
chemical engineering and the pharmaceutical industry.
Innovations already under way in the use of the technology promise
to bring the production of drugs to the desktop, at the “point of
need.” End users will download files that describe the structure of
the drugs they want and print them at will. That has important
implications for research, development and for the affordability of
“orphan drugs” that treat relatively rare ailments. Not
incidentally, this technology will render legal restrictions on
recreational drugs even less enforceable than they are now.

Now go back to the future, and revisit that column,
reprinted in the pages of the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette.
Thrill to an exciting and liberating future! Marvel that the
Post-Gazette apparently has no comment system in an age
when that’s a standard means of getting readers to stick around for
a while and connect with your publication!

Read “Make your own drugs!”
here.