Part two of the survey involved each of the eight pharmaceutical groups described above individually.

Among all Nasdaq stock groups, the biggest gainer was the 102-company pharmaceutical and biotechnology group, which was up 55 percent.

By 1995, it became the largest pharmaceutical group in the world.

Last month, the health department asked medical and pharmaceutical groups to notify it of any drug shortages or other supply anomalies.

In 1894, the young chemist Felix Hoffman joined the pharmaceutical group.

The difference, he said, was that the clampdown by the pharmaceutical groups "has changed the amount of effort it takes to purchase supplies every day."

EPO drugs were the company's best-selling pharmaceutical group, providing more than 10 percent of its revenue.

The big New York-based health-care company said it would cut the jobs in its worldwide pharmaceutical and nutritional groups.

Wayne A. Davidson, president of the pharmaceutical and nutritional group, said, "1992 has been a difficult year."

Investors appeared to be searching for bargains, especially in the battered pharmaceutical group.