Novartis

For the past three days, we have been in Basel, Switzerland.  Novartis graciously invited us to their animal health headquarters and one of their research facilities.  It was definitely an eye-opening experience.  I knew a lot went into drug testing and research, but I didn’t know just how detailed it had to be.  It seems like everything from the chemical formula of the drug to the external packaging of the final product goes through test after test.  I suppose in some ways that should give me comfort and the confidence to prescribe drugs to my patients in the future.  The research facility was also very interesting.  We got to see where they keep their research cattle, cats, and dogs, as well as how they raise a variety of parasites and insects.  It’s insane how many rules and regulations they must follow with regards to using lab animals for research.  They take animal welfare very seriously.  However, some of the regulations can do more harm than good if logic is ignored in favor of following the rules very literally.  After seeing their facilities and learning more about what they do, pharmaceutical research seems like an interesting path to consider.

            Yesterday we took a short walking tour of Basel, which was very enjoyable.  It was a holiday so everything was closed and very few people were out and about.  We got to see some of their eccentric fountains and statues, as well as some more traditional sights such as beautiful cathedral.  Today was the beginning of our long weekend, so we relaxed and took a trip to Augusta Raurica, the largest site of Roman ruins in Switzerland.