The history of pharmacy is a profound narrative of humanity's quest for health and healing, stretching back to the earliest civilizations. As defined by George A. Bender, pharmacy is "the practice of the profession of the art and science of preparing, preserving, compounding, and dispensing medicines," a field with a proud and unequaled record of service to humanity.
The evolution of the pharmacist—from ancient shamans, priests, and healers to modern chemists and druggists—mirrors the advancement of medicine itself.
Etymology: The Meaning of Medicine
The very word "pharmacy" holds dual meanings rooted in ancient languages:
- Ancient Egyptian: It is believed to stem from ph-ar-maki, meaning "the provider of safety and security."
- Ancient Greek: It is derived from pharmakon, meaning both "drug" and "poison," highlighting the fundamental power and potential danger inherent in medicinal substances.
🌍 Pharmacy's Global Progress: Traditions of Healing
The development of pharmaceutical care was not confined to a single region but grew concurrently across ancient global traditions, each contributing unique insights into drug preparation, standardization, and therapeutics.
1. Mesopotamia and Egyptian Pharmacy
The earliest known records of pharmaceutical practice come from ancient Mesopotamia and Egypt:
- Mesopotamia: Developed treatments utilizing plants, animals, and minerals. They established the first known standard weights for compounding drugs. A foundational text, the materia medica, documented medications, including 250 drugs of plant origin and 120 of animal origin. This era also saw the concept of poly-pharmaceuticals (drugs with multiple ingredients).
- Egypt: The Egyptians believed illness was caused by wekhudu (bodily waste) and focused on its removal, leading to the early use of laxatives derived from senna and castor beans. They also utilized aromatic plants for the creation of perfumes and other applications.
2. Ayurvedic Pharmacy (India)
Originating from Ayurveda (meaning "knowledge for longevity"), this system is meticulously detailed in the Charaka Samhita (focused on medicines and herbs) and the Susruta Samhita (focused on surgery).
- Core Belief: Ayurvedic pharmacy centers on balancing the three life forces or doshas: Vata (air and energy), Kapha (earth), and Pitta (fire). Treatments involve vast herbal preparations aimed at restoring this balance.
3. Traditional Chinese Medicine (China)
Chinese medicine conceptualized health and illness in relation to the five major elements: fire, metal, water, wood, and earth. Illness was referred to as bing.
- Key Texts: Early practice relied on the book Pen-Ts’ao, written by Shen-nung, which focused heavily on herbal medicines. Later works, such as the systematic pharmacology text Zhenglei Bencao, contained an immense collection of remedies (about 1740), classifying herbs according to the five elements.
4. Unani Medicines (Graeco-Arabic System)
Representing the Graeco-Arabic medicine system dating back around 2500 years, Unani is prevalent in the Middle East and Asian countries.
- Composition: Unani medications are predominantly herbal (90%), with smaller percentages of animal (4-5%) and mineral (5-6%) components.
- Therapeutic Approaches: Diagnosis and treatment focus on the patient's temperament (Minaj). Treatment modalities include:
- Ilaj- Bil-Tadbeer (Regimental therapy)
- Ilaj- Bil-Dawa (Pharmacotherapy)
- Ilaj- Bil-Ghiza (Dietotherapy)
- Ilaj- Bil-Yad (Surgery)
5. Allopathy System of Medicines (Modern)
The Allopathy system represents the most developed and modern approach to medicine. It is primarily characterized by the use of synthetic or semi-synthetic drug therapy. Drugs are classified according to their pharmacological effect, providing rapid relief and targeted treatment for diseases.
🇮🇳 The Birth of Modern Pharmacy in India
The development of modern pharmacy in India is a significant, structured story of professionalization and regulation. M.L. Shroff is widely regarded as the Father of Indian Pharmacy for establishing the first pharmacy course in India at Banaras Hindu University (BHU).
| Year | Event in Indian Pharmacy History |
| 1811 | Opening of the first chemist shop in Kolkata by Scotch M. Bathgate. |
| 1901 | Bengal Chemical and Pharmaceutical Works established, marking the beginning of organized domestic pharmaceutical production. |
| 1937 | Import of Drugs Bill introduced. |
| 1940 | Enactment of the Drugs Act. |
| 1948 | Enactment of the fundamental Pharmacy Act. |
| 1949 | The Pharmacy Council of India (PCI) was established, standardizing pharmacy education. |
| 1954 | Drugs and Magic Remedies Act passed. |
| 1955 | The First Edition of the Indian Pharmacopoeia (IP) was published. |
| 1985 | Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances Act enacted, tightening regulation on controlled substances. |
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