A pharmacy provides information, guidance and reassurance to people who need medications for various types of illnesses. The term “pharmacy” dates back to the 15th century when the word “pharma” referred to general medical advice given to people by professionals of that time. When did this field of study get started, though?
Providing Care
Employment for pharmacists today requires extensive training and preparation. In the past, people who had even basic knowledge of medicine became the dispensers of medications. As a science, though, the history of pharmacy is very new. However, treating conditions with medications is not.
- Research indicates the oldest pharmaceutical vessel dates back to the 7th century BC.
- Artifacts dating to the Middle Ages indicate that some worked to collect medicinal herbs and supplied them to ill people.
- Chinese history, including some of the oldest medical treatments, involved the use of medicinal products. Traditional herbs and other natural aids became the first medications used.
- In some Romanian museums, there are artifacts dating back hundreds of years that show that some people worked as pharmacists by traveling from city to city selling medicines. They did so out of a portable tote.
Learning the history of pharmacy is a fun way to look at this scientific field but it also provides information about the foundations of some of the world’s oldest healing methods. Individuals can learn about Ancient Chinese and Egyptian treatments for various ailments. Some of these are a part of traditional Chinese medicinal treatments still used today.
