Meetings

International Academy for the History of Pharmacy

More 300 delegates from 23 countries attended the 37th International Academy for the History of Pharmacy congress. The plenary lectures covered the development of pharmacy in Great Britain. Peter Worling reports

The 37th International Academy for the History of Pharmacy congress was held at the University of Edinburgh, Scotland, from 22 to 25 June

History celebrated and discussed

Left to right: Esteban Moreno Toral (Spain), Stuart Anderson (Great Britain), Olivier Lafont (France), Christoph Friedrich (Germany), Patrizia Catellani (Italy), Geoff Miller (Australia), Leif Eklund (Sweden), Greg Higby (USA) and Szabolcs Dobson (Hungary)

Representatives from nine countries addressed the question, “what can universities and national history of pharmacy societies do to develop sustainable activities in pharmacy history?”. The situation differs from country to country, with some schools of pharmacy including significant history of pharmacy in their curricula, but others none. There was a consensus that pharmacy students need to understand the importance of pharmacy history to help them understand the place of pharmacy in society, and show them how history and historical methods have contributed to health policy. To this end, bodies that determine the curriculum of pharmacy degrees need to be convinced of the value of teaching pharmacy history.

38th meeting

The next International Academy for the History of Pharmacy meeting will be held in Seville, Spain, from 19–22 September 2007

National history of pharmacy societies can do much to support the process. They can lobby pharmacy curriculum authorities, provide lecturers where schools of pharmacy do not have staff to teach the subject and suggest a syllabus for a history of pharmacy course. They can also help with historical methods, signpost historical sources and encourage involvement in history of pharmacy research by providing scholarships and prizes.

Museums play a key role in recording history and a series of papers was presented on the resources available to the pharmaceutical historian. The museum of the Royal Pharmaceutical Society is an heirloom to be handed down to future generations of pharmacists, said Bryony Hudson, keeper of the Society’s museum collections. The museum was founded in 1842 and its historical objects now number about 45,000. This collection is one of the most important in its field.

Also speaking at the congress were Diane Wendt and Eric Jentsch of the Smithsonian Institution, Washington, who gave delegates an insight into the wealth of materials that have been preserved in the US and which are available for research in pharmacy history. The National Museum of American History, Washington DC, has the largest collection of artefacts related to the history of pharmacy in the US.

Two collections were described. The first is from the G. W. Aimar Drug Co, a large wholesale drug company that was established in the port of Charleston in 1850. The second is Tuppers Pharmacy, an American drug store that was established in Summerville, a suburban community north west of Charleston. Both speakers emphasised the importance of the collections not just as a history of the profession, but as a reflection on the customs of the times.

500 years of the Royal College of Surgeons

The Royal College of Surgeons of Edinburgh celebrated its 500th anniversary at the congress. The determination of fellows to maintain the role and the status of the college, particularly at times of threat, as well as advancing developments in surgery, has played a significant part in ensuring that it continues at the forefront of surgical teaching, according to Peter Jones, a pharmacy consultant.

The college claimed historic rights to practise pharmacy. These rights were challenged by the apothecaries in the late 17th century, but they were restored by a patent granted by William and Mary in 1695. One of the provisions of the patent gave the college exclusive rights to brew “aqua vitae” (brandy). The evolution of the profession of pharmacy settled the dispute and there were strong links between pharmacy and the college.

The college has recently introduced specialty training in medical informatics, sport medicine and immediate medical care. The next stage could be the introduction of a virtual college.

Guild of apothecaries

Edinburgh did not have a guild of apothecaries because the apothecaries, who were few in number, were constantly frustrated in their efforts to expand their role by the Incorporation of Surgeons and the physicians, according to Peter Worling, a past-president of the British Society for the History of Pharmacy. Dr Worling explained how surgeons and physicians were active in protecting their monopoly from any encroachment. Only after a long series of disputes were all 15 Edinburgh apothecaries admitted as members of the Incorporation of Surgeons in 1721.

Pharmacy and the welfare state

The arrival of the welfare state defined the core activities of community pharmacy, said Stuart Anderson, president of the British Society for the History of Pharmacy. It shaped pharmacists’ education and training and set the level of future prosperity. In 19th century Britain there was little support for those who fell on hard times. Some belonged to mutual organisations such as friendly societies and trade unions, and the “poor law institutions” provided a last resort to the destitute. The local chemist and druggist offered a cheap and accessible option, Dr Anderson said.