This paper provides a broad strokes perspective on the evolution for the application of Life Cycle Assessment (LCA) within the pharmaceutical and chemical industries. This focus is mainly on the challenges faced to produce the needed inventory data and using the resulting LCA output in decision making, which are the backbone of any LCA estimation and practical application in industry. It also provides some of the insights the authors have derived over the last two decades of work in this area, and proposes a series of development needs within life cycle assessment as it becomes more integrated into decision-making in industry.