History of Medicine and Pharmacy

Medicine has been practiced for thousands of years, with remedies like herbals used throughout history.
Severe illnesses were believed to be caused by evil spirits.
Trephining: A cut made into the skull to allow disease to leave.
Tribal shamans (medicine men): Believed to communicate with spirits.

Plagues caused mass casualties.
Microbes were unknown.
Prayer was a common treatment.
Four Body Humors linked to basic elements:
- Blood = air
- Phlegm = water
- Yellow bile = fire
- Black bile = earth
Treatments to rebalance humors: Bloodletting, laxatives.

Known as the father of medicine.
Made advancements in medicine through observation of food and climate effects.
First physician to record patient illnesses.
Promoted kindness, rest, and light foods for the sick.
Corpus Hippocratum: Collection of books documenting his teachings.
Hippocratic oath: Doctors act for the good of patients and maintain confidentiality.

Claudius Galen
- Followed Hippocrates’ beliefs (balanced diet, exercise, hygiene).
- Wrote on physiology, anatomy, pathology, diagnosis, and pharmacology.
Roger Bacon
- Refined and explained the importance of experimental methods.
Paracelsus
- Believed in treating illnesses with one medication at a time.
- Produced nontoxic medications.
- Introduced laudanum (a pain tonic).

New immigrants brought diseases.
Doctors diagnosed conditions and prepared remedies.
First druggists were doctors.
Early American remedies:
- Cinchona bark (quinine) for malaria
- Mercury for syphilis (very toxic)
Average life expectancy: 40 years.
Childhood diseases: No vaccines available.
Most treatments: Family tradition concoctions.

Laudanum
Absinthe
Origin of opium
- Opium: By-product of Papaver somniferum (opium poppy).
- Opioid: Made in a laboratory.
- Opium and opioids act on the nervous system's same receptor sites and have the same side effects.

Modern treatment for hemochromatosis: Leeches and maggots remove blood.
- Approved by FDA in 1976.
- Inexpensive.
Honey is used today for its medicinal properties.

Apothecaries (pharmacies) appeared after the Civil War.
People were trained to give medications accurately.
Pharmacists became druggists.
First pharmacy school: Philadelphia College of Pharmacy and Sciences (1821).
In the 1800s, pharmacists compounded nearly every drug.
Medical recipe book: Instructions for preparing remedies (e.g. chalk for heartburn, rose petals for headaches).

Early pharmacists played a minimal role in healthcare.
1800-1900: Soda fountain became an extension of the drugstore.
Mineral water became a treatment for different ailments.
Pharmacists sold soda and ice cream, worked lunch counters, and filled prescriptions.
Pharmacy setting promoted trust in the pharmacist.

First pharmacy technicians were in the military.
- Trained to fill prescriptions and do the pharmacist's job.
- Military technicians have broader training.
Family members helped behind counters.
Early pharmacy clerks became pharmacy technicians.
1960s: Need for standardized training.
Professional pharmacy organizations became involved in training.
As of December 31, 2019, PTCB has granted 706,678 pharmacy technician certifications since 1995 through the examination and transfer process
Jobs for clinical technicians include:
- Assisting with anticoagulation monitoring
- Managing automation and pharmacy coordination systems
- Managing medication reconciliation programs
Technicians are now in high demand.

Doctor of Pharmacy degree (PharmD) needed for US pharmacists.
Today’s druggist needs communication skills for dealing with doctors and customers.
Pharmacy technicians need more education and on-the-job training in some states.
Technician’s duties: Prepare prescriptions and compound specialty medications.
Hospital (inpatient pharmacy) duties: Supply floor stock, prepare parenteral medications, transcribe orders, fill cassettes.
Specialized technicians order drugs/supplies or work in clinical/quality control settings.
Pharmacists can specialize (anticoagulation, pharmacokinetics, oncology, pediatrics, geriatrics, compounding).

Pharmacists can be trusted to provide truthful information.
Clinical pharmacists work alongside doctors to prescribe medications and dosages.
Community pharmacy: Pharmacists counsel patients; technicians fill correct medications.

Pharmacists take on clinical roles, working with medical staff.
Technicians transcribe orders, pull medications, and fill prescriptions.
Technicians in specialized fields participate in healthcare teams.
Pharmacists and technicians have different roles but both have a place in taking care of patients.