When we are in the middle of helping our young children deal with the diagnosis of epilepsy or are making transitional plans for our parents who are suffering the early stages of Alzheimers the tasks and the emotions that we face can seem all consuming. What we soon come to realize, however, is that during our days, months, and years of helping to care for our loved one there is also a worldwide team of researchers and scientists who are doing the same. The Alzheimers, diabetes, and epilepsy studies have, in fact, been going on for years. And while the care that we give and plan for will be limited to the length of the lives of our loved ones, the necessary research is an ongoing and seemingly endless process.

The reality is that every time we are written a prescription for a medicine or a treatment regimen we are benefitting from the clinical research and studies that have been going on for the past decades. From epilepsy studies to paid depression studies to diabetes clinical trials, the platform for the care that is administered today is a product of the research that has been done in the past. And the platform for the care that will be provided to ourselves and our loved ones in the future will continue to depend on the research that takes place today and in the future.

Medical Research Is a Painstakingly Complex Process That Does Not Always Lead to Solutions
One of the biggest challenges of the medical research and clinical trials industry is that not every idea works. In fact, of the more than 10,000 compounds under pharma researchers’ microscopes in the year 2015, only 56 were launched as new medicines, according to the European Pharmaceutical Review. All of these tests, however, require funding and can provide valuable information about the health care that may be provided in the future.

By the year 2020 the global pharmaceutical industry will grow to reach a total value of $1.43 trillion, according to the International Federation of Pharmaceutical Manufacturers and Associations. If you are a parent of a child recently diagnosed with epilepsy, you can only hope that one of these drugs will be the result of successful epilepsy studies.

A recent study from Save the Children shows that our most important resource is plagued by conflict, poverty, health concerns, and gender discrimination. When political leaders say that these children are our most important resource but do not put money toward the research that kind find support they, too, are slowing the progress that our nation and the world depend on. We have many needs in this world, and it is important to realize that there are clinical research groups and non profit charities alike who are working to find the cures, resources, and solutions that we need. Resources that may help you in the future if you find yourself caring for someone who is in need of medical care.