The Heritage of Pharmacy

INTRODUCTION TO PHARMACY

  • Presented by Dr. Karishma Jeeboo, PharmD

  • Focuses on humanity’s search for wellness through pharmacy.

SPEAKER PROFILE

  • Registered Pharmacist with over 20 years of experience.

  • Previous community pharmacy practice for 16 years.

  • Lecturer in:

    • Pharmacotherapeutics

    • Clinical and Community Pharmacy

    • Final Year Clinical Supervisor

  • Director of the School of Pharmacy, University of Guyana (2013 – Present).

  • Chair of the Pharmacy Council of Guyana.

  • Active member of professional associations:

    • CAP Education Chair

    • 2nd Vice President of GPA.

  • Passion for volunteerism and outdoor activities, frequently traveling for medical outreach and missions.

LEARNING OUTCOMES

  • Define Pharmacy.

  • Recall the stages in the evolution of pharmacy and drug development.

  • Discuss examples of the evolution of pharmacy through various eras.

  • Explain current practices in pharmacy.

DEFINITIONS OF PHARMACY

  • Definition 1:

    • "The art, practice, or profession of preparing, preserving, compounding, and dispensing medical drugs" - Webster’s Definition.

  • Definition 2:

    • “Pharmacy refers to the healthcare profession that deals with both the fields of health science as well as chemistry.”

  • Etymology:

    • Origin of “pharmacy”: ancient Egyptian word ph-ar-maki, meaning granter of security.

    • Greek root pharmakon, meaning medicine, drug, or poison.

PHARMACY DESCRIPTION

  • George A. Bender, noted historian of pharmacy, defined it as:

    • "Pharmacy, the profession of the art and science of preparing, preserving, compounding, and dispensing medicines, indeed has a proud heritage—an unequalled record of service to humanity almost as old as the human race itself."

EVOLUTION OF PHARMACY

  • Ancient Era:

    • Timeframe: Beginning of time to AD 1600.

    • Practices: Use of leaves, mud, and cool water for healing.

  • Empiric Era:

    • Timeframe: 1600-1940.

    • Development: Pharmacopeia became a regulatory tool; beginnings of toxicological questioning about drugs.

  • Industrialization Era:

    • Timeframe: 1940-1970.

    • Mass production of medicines and significant scientific research advancement.

  • Patient Care Era:

    • Timeframe: 1970-present.

    • Focus on drug interactions, adverse drug reactions (ADRs), and new recombinant DNA technology (rDNA).

ORIGINS OF PHARMACY

  • Oldest known prescriptions documented on a clay tablet in Mesopotamia, circa 2400 BC.

  • Archaeological finds include clay tablets with medicinal preparations:

    • First soothing applications: cool water, leaves, dirt.

    • Methods for poultices and salves involving ingredients like mustard, fig, myrrh, and more.

HISTORICAL SIGNIFICANCE

  • Pharmacy's beginnings trace back to ancient practices.

  • Greek mythological references:

    • Asclepius, god of healing, had Hygeia, his apothecary.

    • Herbal remedies flourished despite the absence of scientific principles in therapeutics.

PHARMACEUTICAL PRACTICE IN ANCIENT TIMES

  • Trial-and-error method used by early civilizations.

  • Written pharmacopeias emerged, influencing modern formularies.

  • The Chinese recorded a comprehensive 40-volume plant remedies compendium in 2700 B.C.

EGYPTIAN CONTRIBUTIONS

  • Egyptian physician-priests specialized as:

    • Those who treated sick patients.

    • Those who prepared remedies.

  • Eber’s Papyrus (1500 B.C.) documented herbal remedies organized by disease.

  • Notable remedies included:

    • Asthma: Herbs heated on a brick for inhalation.

    • Constipation: Recipe involving cow's milk and grains.

    • Death remedy: Onion and beer mix claimed to combat death.

GREEK CONTRIBUTIONS

  • Merging of scientific thought into medicine replaced mythological views.

  • Hippocrates, known as “father of medicine,” separated medicine from spiritualism.

  • He authored the Hippocratic Oath.

MODERN PHARMACY

  • Pharmaceutical manufacturing began in 1600, gaining momentum in the mid-1700s.

  • Significant growth in Europe, especially Germany and England.

  • In the U.S., pharmacy flourished during wartime, contributing to a $300 billion global market.

DRUG RESEARCH AND DEVELOPMENT PROCESS

  • Drug Development Stages:

    1. Discovery and origination of new compounds.

    2. Efficacy and safety research.

    3. Confirmation in human trials:

    • Phase I: Safety in healthy subjects.

    • Phase II: Efficacious dosage in patients.

    • Phase III: Efficacy comparison with existing drugs.

    1. New drug application and expert review.

    2. MHLW approval and post-marketing surveillance.

    • Total time approximately 10-15 years (2-3 for basic research, 3-7 for clinical studies, 1 year for approval).

CURRENT PHARMACEUTICAL PRACTICES

  • Nearly half of Americans take a prescription drug daily, generating $250 billion in sales yearly.

  • Pharmacists leverage technology for patient care and medication therapy management (MTM).

  • Emphasizing telehealth, mobile health applications, and mandatory Continuing Professional Development (CPD).

  • Training in clinical skills, vaccine administration, and minor ailment prescribing.

FUTURE OF PHARMACY

  • Continues to evolve with advancements in clinical care and technology integration.

READING ASSIGNMENTS

  • Read the following:

    • Remington 21st Edition, Chapter 2.

    • Ansel’s Pharmaceutical Dosage Forms and Drug Delivery Systems, 10th Edition, Chapter 1.

    • Goodman and Gilman, 14th Edition, Chapter 1 (Access Pharmacy).

    • Explore relevant resources about insulin discovery and pharmacy history online.

REFERENCES

  • Cited resources include textbook chapters, articles, and historical pharmacy documentation from reliable websites.