The Pharmacy Through the Ages

From the workshop for self-made medicines to a plaything of the pharmaceutical chemical industry.
Lecture by Mag.a Ingrid Heller with a Q&A session.

The year 1241 can be referred to as the birth year of the pharmacy profession in Europe. The Staufer Emperor Frederick II (1194-1250) issued a medical regulation that mandated the separation of the professions of doctor and pharmacist. Until the 19th century, medications, ointments, tinctures, teas, and pills were exclusively produced in pharmacies. The early 20th century marks the beginning of the pharmaceutical industry and the production of chemical medicines. Initially, this was based solely on the knowledge of naturally occurring plant, animal, or mineral active ingredients. How does the pharmacy manage to assert itself and evolve in modern times? Is it new technologies, ancient knowledge, or individual business acumen that continue to make the pharmacy an essential part of our lives?

"Chemistry is not everything, but without chemistry, everything is nothing."
Justus von Liebig (1803-1873)

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