General Pharmacy - Introduction to the Profession of Pharmacy

Vocabulary flashcards covering key historical figures, terminology, milestones, and organizations in the history and profession of pharmacy in India and globally.

Pharmakon

The Greek word from which 'Pharmacy' originates, meaning 'Drug'.

Pharmacy

The health profession concerned with the art and science of identification, selection, preparation, preservation, and standardization of drug substances from natural and synthetic sources for administration in the diagnosis, treatment, and prevention of diseases.

Apothecary

The historical name for a medical professional who formulated and dispensed medicines to patients and physicians, a role now served by pharmacists.

Ayurveda

An ancient Indian science of life classified as a subsection attached to the Atharva Veda that uses lifestyle, yoga, aroma, meditation, gems, herbs, diets, and surgery in therapy.

Main Pillars of Ayurveda

Charaka Samhita, Sushruta Samhita, and Vaghbata.

Theophrastus

A Greek philosopher around $300\text{ BC}$ who studied plants, herbs, and shrubs extensively and is referred to as the Father of Botany.

Hippocrates

Known as the Father of Medicine ($466\text{ to }377\text{ BCE}$), who established the basics of clinical medicine and introduced terms such as symptom, diagnosis, therapy, trauma, and sepsis.

Aristotle

A philosopher ($384\text{--}322\text{ BCE}$) regarded as the godfather of evidence-based medicine.

Dioscorides

A Greek physician ($40\text{--}80\text{ AD}$) popularly known as the Father of Pharmacognosy who wrote the 5-volume work De Materia Medica.

Galen

Recognized as the first pharmacist ($131\text{--}200\text{ AD}$) who formulated cold cream and extracted therapeutic constituents from plants called galenicals.

Galenicals

Therapeutic constituents extracted from plants, first prepared and introduced by Galen.

William Proctor Jr.

Founder of the American Pharmacy Association in $1852$, recognized as the Father of Pharmacy.

Le'mery

A chemist ($1645\text{--}1751$) who reported the importance of extraction methods and used alcohol for the majority of extractions.

Swede Linnaeus

A scientist ($1707\text{--}1778$) who classified plants and introduced the binomial system of taxonomy.

Prof. Mahadeva Lal Schroff

Known as the Father of Pharmacy in India, who started the first B. Pharmacy course at Banaras Hindu University in $1937$, launched the Indian Journal of Pharmacy in $1939$, and was elected as the first president of PCI on $15\text{ November }1954$.

Chopra Committee

A committee appointed by the Government of India on $11\text{th August }1930$ under Late Col. R.N. Chopra to investigate the problems of pharmacy in India and recommend measures.

Pharmacy Council of India (PCI)

Statutory regulatory body established on $\text{March }9, 1949$ under the Pharmacy Act $1948$ to ensure uniform education and training standards in India.

Bengal Chemical and Pharmaceuticals

The first pharmaceutical company in India, started in Kolkata in $1901$ by Prof. P.C. Ray.

Alembic Chemicals

A pharmaceutical company set up in Baroda in $1907$ by Prof. T.K. Gujjar.

Indian Pharmaceutical Industry Market Profile

The world's $3\text{rd}$ largest pharmaceutical industry in terms of volume and $14\text{th}$ in terms of value, currently valued at $\$50\text{ Bn}$.

Pharmacy Course Durations in India

D. Pharm ($2\text{ Years}$), B. Pharm ($4\text{ Years}$), M. Pharm ($2\text{ Years}$), Pharm D ($5\text{ Years}$), and Ph.D. in Pharmacy ($3\text{-}6\text{ Years}$).