Historical Development of Pharmacy Practice (Notes)
Definition and scope of Pharmacy
Pharmacy is the science and practice of discovering, producing, preparing, dispensing, reviewing and monitoring medications, aiming to ensure the safe, effective, quality and affordable use of medicines.
Pharmacy is the Profession concerned with the art and science of preparing drugs from natural and synthetic sources, and from suitable and convenient dosage forms for administration for treatment and prevention of diseases in humans and animals.
The origin of drugs is versatile, sourced from plants, animals, minerals, microbes, synthetic processes, and biotechnological methods.
Embraces knowledge of identification, selection, pharmacologic action, preservation, analysis, and standardization of drugs and medicines.
The word Pharmacy derives from the Greek word "Pharmakon" meaning drug or medicine.
The role and identity of pharmacists
Pharmacists play an important role in helping people get the best results from their medications. They are medication experts who enhance patient care and promote wellness.
A pharmacist is the expert on drugs, with legally granted responsibility to handle drugs and know all about them.
A pharmacist (also called chemist or druggist) is a healthcare professional who specializes in preparation, dispensing, and management of medications to ensure safe and effective use, while providing medication counseling and guidance to patients and healthcare providers. They may serve as primary care providers in the community and offer services such as health screenings and immunizations.
What is a pharmacy and what is a medication? Distinctions
A pharmacy is a store or outlet where medicinal drugs are prepared, dispensed and sold under the supervision of a licensed pharmacist.
A medication (medicament, medicine, pharmaceutical drug) is a drug used to diagnose, cure, treat, or prevent disease or to promote well-being.
A drug is a chemical substance (often with a known structure) that, when administered to a living organism, produces a biological effect.
Five historical periods in pharmacy
Ancient Through Early Modern Era: Ancient to AD 1500.
Empiric Era: 1600 to 1940.
Industrialization Era: 1940 to 1970.
Patient Care Era: 1970 to present.
Biotechnology and genetic engineering: The new horizon.
First drugstore and early pharmacy education in the Philippines
First drugstore in the Philippines: Botica Boie, established in 1830 by Dr. Lorenzo Negrao, a Spanish physician-pharmacist. It served as a soda fountain and drug company in Escolta.
1871: University of Santo Tomas offered the course in BS Pharmacy and licentiate in pharmacy. The first Filipino to study pharmacy was Don Leon Ma. Guerrero (Father of Philippine Pharmacy).
First pharmacy school run by Filipinos: Escuela de Farmacia del Liceo de Manila in 1904, with Dr. Alejandro Albert as founder and director.
First female pharmacist in the Philippines in 1908. Names include Filomena Francisco and others (Matilde S. Arquiza).
CEU established in 1907; College of Pharmacy opened in 1921; first dean was Dr. Valerio Jarlhing; notable note about the “Tiki Tiki.”
Ancient and early history foundations
BEFORE THE DAWN OF HISTORY (Ancient practices)
Ancient man learned from instinct and observation (birds, beasts).
Early soothing applications included cool water, leaves, dirt, or mud.
Explanations for illness varied: victim of evil forces, gods’ anger, punishment; treatments included supernatural and natural resources.
Healers were shamans or priests in early days.
ANCIENT BABYLONIA
Babylon was a cradle of civilization and had early apothecary practice; practitioners were priests, pharmacists, and physicians all in one.
Medical texts on clay tablets recorded illness symptoms, prescriptions, compounding instructions, and invocations to gods.
ASIPU and ASU (early healers)
Asipu: magical healer relying on spells and magical stones.
Asu: empirical healer using plant materials; manipulated drugs into dosage forms.
SHEN NUNG and early pharmacopoeia
Shen Nung (emperor) investigated medicinal value of hundreds of herbs; authored the Pen T-Sao (native herbal) with 350 drugs.
Medicinal plants included podophyllum, rhubarb, ginseng, stramonium, cinnamon bark, ephedra, ma huang, etc.
Dosage forms included enemas, infusions, inhalations, lotions, and more.
Papyrus Ebers (circa 1500 BC) records 800 prescriptions and 700 drugs.
HYGEIA, ASCLepIus, and symbols
Hygeia: goddess of health, cleanliness, sanitation.
Asclepius associated with healing; the staff and serpent symbol as healing icon.
Bowl of Hygeia: international symbol of the pharmacy profession.
HIPPOCRATES and the scientific method
Hippocrates introduced a scientific approach to pharmacy and medicine.
Emphasized observation, classification, rejection of unsupported theories and superstition; contributed to the Hippocratic Oath.
THEOPHRASTUS and botany
Theophrastus, Father of Botany, studied medicinal herbs and their medical qualities.
PEDANIOS DIOSCORIDES
Pedanios Dioscorides, Greek physician and botanist, wrote De Materia Medica (On Medicinal Substances) in five volumes.
Documented drug observations, provided rules for drug collection, storage, and use.
TOXICOLOGY and poisons
He explored poisoning and antidotes; sometimes used as test subjects included prisoners.
Galen and the pharmacopoeial tradition
GALEN (Gk pharmacist–physician)
Practiced and taught both pharmacy and medicine.
Propagated principles of preparing and compounding medicines; associated with galenicals (medicines prepared by mechanical means).
Originated the formula for a cold cream.
TRADEMARKS AND standardization
Early concept of trademarks for identification of source and customer trust.
Terra Sigillata (Sealed Earth): clay tablets with official seal; originated in Lemnos before 500 BC; distributed commercially after proper preparation.
Monastic and medieval pharmacy
DAMIAN AND COSMAS – patrons of health professions
Damian (apothecary) and Cosmas (physician) as the twin pillars.
MONASTIC PHARMACY
Monks gathered herbs and simples, prepared according to apothecary art; monasteries preserved and translated medical manuscripts; field gardening and herb gardens.
Arabian era and separation of arts
ARABIAN ERA: first apothecary shops
Arabs separated apothecary from physician; privately owned drug stores emerged.
Development of syrups, confections, conserves, distilled waters, and alcoholic solutions.
AVICENNA (Ibn Sina)
Pharmacist, physician, philosopher; contributed teachings to pharmacy and medicine.
SEPARATION OF PHARMACY AND MEDICINE (Europe)
In Sicily and Southern Italy, pharmacy separated from medicine.
Magna Carta of Pharmacy (Frederick II of Hohenstaufen): three decrees:
1) The pharmaceutical profession separated from the medical profession.
2) The pharmaceutical profession should be officially supervised.
3) Pharmacists should take an oath to prepare drugs reliably, with skilled art, and in uniform quality.
The age of chemical advances and pharmacopoeias
DISCOVERY OF CHEMICALS and plant chemistry
Oxygen, chlorine, prussic acid, tartaric acid, tungsten, molybdenum, glycerin, nitroglycerin, and many organic compounds were discovered.
The Father of Modern Plant Chemistry.
PARACELSUS (Swiss physician–chemist)
Influenced transformation of pharmacy from a botanical basis to chemical science; argued for specific medicinal agents for each disease and introduced many chemical substances to internal therapy.
FIRST OFFICIAL PHARMACOPOEIA
Pharmacopoeia ideas with official status began in Florence with the Nuovo Receptario (1498) as the legal standard for Florence.
Collaboration between the Guild of Apothecaries and the Medical Society; early interprofessional cooperation.
THE SOCIETY OF APOTHECARIES OF LONDON
In 1617, Francis Bacon helped form the Master, Wardens and Society of the Art and Mystery of the Apothecaries of the City of London; first pharmacists’ organization in the Anglo-Saxon world.
AMERICAN FOUNDER-IDENTITIES (America in early pharmacy)
Governor John Winthrop (Massachusetts Bay Colony): chemist-physician and proponent of remedies; sovereign remedy “rubila” for measles and other ailments.
The Marshall Apothecary (Philadelphia, 1729): a pioneering retail store; training ground for pharmacists; supply depot during the American Revolution; later managed by Elizabeth, America’s first woman pharmacist.
JOHN MORGAN and hospital practice
Colonial America’s first hospital pharmacy (1752); John Morgan advocated prescription writing and independent practice of two professions.
CRAIGIE – AMERICA’S FIRST APOTHECARY GENERAL
Andrew Craigie held commissioned pharmaceutical officer role; duties included procurement, storage, manufacture, and distribution of Army drugs; established early wholesaling and manufacturing.
ALKALOIDS and pharmacognosy
Friedrich Wilhelm Adam Serturner discovered morphine (opium’s primary narcotic). Recognized alkaloids as a new class of organic substances.
PELLETIER & CAVENTOU
Isolated emetine from ipecacuanha (1817); strychnine and brucine from nux vomica; and separation of quinine and cinchonine from cinchona bark, useful against malaria.
AMERICAN PHARMACY BUILDS ITS FOUNDATIONS
Philadelphia College of Pharmacy formed as a self-policing body; 68 pharmacists signed the constitution establishing the first pharmaceutical association in the United States (1852).
SHAKERS AND MEDICINAL HERBS
Shakers became the first U.S. industry in medicinal herbs (c. 1820): cultivated ~200 varieties, produced bricks of dried herbs, labeled, and sold to pharmacists and physicians globally; their labels were a hallmark of reliability and quality for a century.
AMERICAN PHARMACEUTICAL ASSOCIATION (APhA)
Twenty delegates launched APhA with leadership from Daniel B. Smith (first President) and William Procter, Jr. (first Secretary).
WILLIAM PROCTER, JR. (Father of American Pharmacy)
Graduated from the Philadelphia College of Pharmacy (1837); key figure in founding APhA; served as its first Secretary and later President.
REVOLUTION IN PHARMACEUTICAL EDUCATION (late 19th century)
Dr. Albert B. Prescott launched the University of Michigan pharmacy course in 1868; abandoned traditional apprenticeship pre-graduation requirements.
1871 APhA convention denied credentials to the Michigan course; it pioneered laboratory pharmacy, a structured curriculum including basic sciences, and full-time student commitments.
Over the next thirty years, Prescott’s innovations were broadly adopted by pharmaceutical faculties.
THE PHARMACOPOEIA COMES OF AGE
The first United States Pharmacopoeia (USP) appeared in 1820 as a medical-professional standard; achieved national acceptance.
By 1877, USP faced dissolution due to medical professionals’ lack of interest; Dr. Edward R. Squibb and a committee including Charles Rice (hospital pharmacist) and Joseph P. Remington (pharmacist-educator) revived USP importance.
STANDARDIZATION OF PHARMACEUTICALS
Parke, Davis & Company introduced standardized Liquor Ergotae Purificatus in 1879; Dr. Albert Brown Lyons chemist-developed alkaloidal assays; 1883 Parke-Davis announced 20 standardized “normal liquids.” Also pioneered pharmacologic and physiologic standards.
STANISLAS LIMOUSIN – PHARMACAL INVENTOR
French retail pharmacist who merged science and technical skill; inventions include medicine dropper, colored poisons, wafer cachets; innovations for inhalation therapy and oxygen administration; sealed glass ampoules for preserving solutions for hypodermic use.
Era of biologicals and chemotherapeutics
THE ERA OF BIOLOGICALS
1894 Behring and Roux demonstrated diphtheria antitoxin efficacy; Parke-Davis among pioneers; serum became available in 1895, saving thousands of children's lives.
1903 USP Biological License No. 1 awarded to Parke-Davis; later biological products culminated in polio vaccine by 1955.
DEVELOPMENT OF CHEMOTHERAPY
Ernest Fourneau (French pharmacist) led chemical research at Institut Pasteur; helped develop new chemical compounds to fight disease-causing organisms; contributed to early sulfonamide therapies and antihistaminic properties; catalyzed broader chemotherapeutic research.
Notable individuals and industrial shifts (late 19th – early 20th century)
Charles Alderton (Dr Pepper), Caleb Bradham (Pepsi), Charles Elmer Hires (Hires Root Beer)
John Pemberton (Coca-Cola), James Vernor (Vernor’s ginger ale)
William Procter, Jr. (Father of American Pharmacy) and Harvey A. K. Whitney (founder of ASHP 1942)
Pharmaceutical manufacturing and regulation in the early 20th century
War-driven growth of industrial manufacturing
Large-scale manufacturing of pharmaceutical products expanded due to war-related injuries.
Firms beyond local pharmacies began centralized manufacturing of medicinal preparations.
Periodization of manufacturing pharmacy development
Formative (1867), Botanical (1875), Standardization (1882), Biological (1895), Organic Chemical Synthesis (1883), Hormones (1901), Vitamins (1909), Antibiotics (1940).
The antibiotic era
Antibiotics are not new; Pasteur observed antibiotic-like actions in 1877.
Fleming discovered penicillin in 1929; further development by Florey and Chain in 1940.
WWII spurred mass production of penicillin; costs reduced to approximately of the original.
1940s saw rapid antibiotic discoveries; continued research to conquer microbial enemies.
Retail pharmacists initially resisted industrialization of manufacturing; social and professional tensions accompanied these changes.
Resulting trends: biologically prepared products, complex chemical synthesis, more parenteral medications, and standardized manufacturing.
Modern pharmacy and pharmaceutical care concepts
Rational drug therapy and patient-focused care
Computers enabled rational, targeted research; multidisciplinary teams (including statisticians and financial managers) became common.
Multiple drug therapy raised concerns about adverse reactions, interactions, and therapeutic outcomes; led to emphasis on optimizing drug therapy.
Patient-focused drug therapy evolved, centered on drug control or drug monitoring to optimize outcomes.
Pharmaceutical care and the pharmaceutical care movement
CD Hepler (late 1980s) established the concept of pharmaceutical care.
Modern area of pharmacy emphasizes science and practice of rational medication use; patient-centered services to optimize selection, utilization and monitoring of medications.
Biotechnology, genetic engineering, and the new horizon
Biotechnology uses microorganisms to produce drugs, hormones, and other products.
Genetic engineering modifies genetic material; gene therapy and genetic defect research expanded.
Research in gene therapy and related fields increased, aiming to cure major diseases such as cancer.
The Philippines: early drugstores, education, and professionalization
Botica Boie (1830): first drugstore in the Philippines; soda fountain and drug company in Escolta; founded by Dr. Lorenzo Negrao.
1871: University of Santo Tomas offered BS Pharmacy and licentiate in pharmacy; first Filipino to study pharmacy was Don Leon Ma. Guerrero (Father of Philippine Pharmacy).
1904: Escuela de Farmacia del Liceo de Manila established; founder/director: Dr. Alejandro Albert (Filipinos running pharmacy education).
1908: first female pharmacist in the Philippines (Filomena Francisco; other names include Matilde S. Arquiza).
1907: CEU established; 1921: College of Pharmacy opened as the IST College; first dean: Dr. Valerio Jarhling (note on “Tiki Tiki”).
Summary of significance and connections
Pharmacy has evolved from magical and empirical herb lore to a rigorous science and patient-centered practice.
Core concepts include: proper drug identification, dosage forms, pharmacology, drug safety, quality control, standardization, and therapeutic monitoring.
The discipline has always depended on cross-disciplinary collaboration: physicians, chemists, apothecaries, botanists, and later pharmacists and allied health professionals.
Public health, ethics, and professional self-regulation (e.g., Magna Carta of Pharmacy, early pharmacy organizations) were foundational to professional identity.
The modern era integrates biotechnology, genetics, and evidence-based patient care, with ongoing emphasis on safety, efficacy, and accessibility.
Key terms and dates (quick reference)
The word Pharmakon: Greek for drug/medicine.
Papyrus Ebers: ca. 1500 B.C.; 800 prescriptions, 700 drugs.
Nuovo Receptario (1498): first official pharmacopoeia standard in Florence.
1617: Master, Wardens and Society of the Apothecaries of London founded.
1729: Christopher Marshall’s apothecary in Philadelphia; early model of a modern pharmaceutical enterprise.
1751-1752: Colonial America’s first hospital and hospital pharmacy; Jonathan Roberts and John Morgan.
1837: William Procter, Jr. and the Philadelphia College of Pharmacy flourished; later helped form APhA.
1868: Prescott’s Michigan program; 1871: APhA credential debates; shifts toward formal curricula.
1879-1883: Parke, Davis standardization and alkaloidal assays; introduction of standardized liquids.
1894-1955: Behring/Roux diphtheria antitoxin; penicillin’s development and vaccines.
1903: Parke-Davis biological license; 1955: polio vaccine.
1980s: Hepler’s pharmaceutical care; patient-centered drug therapy monitoring.
1830s–1920s: Philippines’ pharmacy education and practice began, culminating in Filipino-led institutions in the early 20th century.