Perspectives in Pharmacy: History and Evolution

A collection of vocabulary terms covering the definition of pharmacy and drugs, historical archaeological discoveries, ancient medical texts, and the evolution of the profession from antiquity to the Middle Ages.

Pharmakon

The Greek word from which "Pharmacy" is derived, meaning medicine or drug.

Pharmacy

The art, practice, or profession of preparing, preserving, compounding, and dispensing medical drugs.

Pharmacy (Lovett, $2014$)

The health profession that links the health sciences with the chemical science, charged with ensuring the safe and effective use of pharmaceutical drugs.

RA $10918$ (Philippine Pharmacy Act)

Defines a drug as any article recognized in the Official United States Pharmacopeia/National Formulary intended for use in diagnosis, cure, mitigation, treatment, or prevention of disease.

RA $9502$

The Universally Accessible Cheaper and Quality Medicines Act of $2008$, which defines herbal or traditional drugs.

The Naturalist

The phase of pharmacy history characterized by instinctual herbalism and ancient remedies.

The Compounder

The phase of pharmacy history focused on the art of apothecary and formulation.

The Clinical Specialist

The modern phase of pharmacy characterized by evidence-based and patient-centered care.

Shanidar Cave

An archaeological site where discoveries revealed the earliest prehistoric uses of medicinal herbs.

Spirit Cave

A site where remains of the areca nut demonstrate prehistoric botanical knowledge.

Sumerian Cuneiform

Clay tablets from Mesopotamia documenting pharmaceutical processes such as pulverization, infusion, boiling, and filtering.

ASU

The title for the pharmacist in the Ancient Mesopotamia "Trinity of Care," alongside the physician and the priest.

Ebers Papyrus ($1550\,BC$)

An ancient Egyptian document containing hundreds of prescriptions, remedies, and incantations.

Edwin Smith Papyrus ($16th\,Century\,BC$)

A foundational Egyptian text on surgical and medical treatments.

Terra Sigillata

Meaning "Sealed Earth," it is an early example of a stabilized and trademarked medicinal product.

Theophrastus

A Greek scholar from about $300\,BC$ who is known as the Father of Botany.

Rhizotomoi

The Greek term for herbalists, who were separated from physicians as medicine transitioned into a theoretical science.

Pedanius Dioscorides ($60$-$78\,AD$)

Author of "De Materia Medica," a record of observations on over $600$ plants that served as a definitive reference for a millennium.

Galenicals

Medicinal preparations composed of plant constituents, named after Claudius Galenus.

Saints Cosmas and Damian

The Patron Saints of Medicine and Pharmacy.

Shennong Ben Cao Jing

The earliest Chinese manual on materia medica ($1st\,century\,AD$), compiling hundreds of herbal formulas.

Taiho Code ($701\,AD$)

A Japanese code that legally defined and elevated the status of pharmacists in the Imperial court.

Ibn Sina (Avicenna)

Known as "The Persian Galen," he authored "The Canon of Medicine," detailing over $700$ pharmaceutical preparations.

Baghdad, $754\,AD$

The location and year where the first independent drug stores (pharmacies) were established.

Edict of $1240$

Issued by Emperor Frederick II, this decree formally separated the professions of medicine (diagnosis) and pharmacy (preparation) in Europe.