Pharmacy has evolved from ancient times when physicians were responsible for diagnosis, compounding, and dispensing to the modern era of patient care. Early pharmaceutical education was conducted within medical colleges and hospitals. The first pharmacy exam was conducted in 1870 by Madras Medical College in India. Pharmacopoeias are reference books that set quality standards for drugs and medicines. Major pharmacopoeias include the Indian, British, United States, and European Pharmacopoeias which help ensure good pharmaceutical care globally.

1. TOPIC: HISTORICAL BACKGROUND AND DEVELOPMENT
IN PHARMACY: OVERVIEW
LLOYD SCHOOL OF PHARMACY
PLOT NO. 03, KNOWLEDGE PARK-II, GREATER NOIDA
PREPARED BY: KOMAL JAIN
( Assistant Professor)

2. INTRODUCTION
Pharmacy is defined as the profession which is concerned with the art and science of Identification, Selection,
preparation, Preservation & Standardization of suitable drug substances from natural and synthetic sources and
their formulations which are meant for administration for diagnosis, prevention and treatment of diseases.
The word pharmacy has two meaning:

3. HISTORY OF PHARMACY

4. 1. ANCIENT ERA

5. 2. EMPIRIC ERA

6. 3. INDUSTRIALIZATION ERA

7. 4. PATIENT CARE ERA

8. PHARMACEUTICAL EDUCATION
• In ancient times physician has to diagnosis, compounding and dispensing.
• In European middle ages there were physician, (pharmacist) & drug merchant (druggist- supply drugs).
• In early days pharmacy as a part of health care services was studied in
medical colleges and hospitals.
• In 1870 MADRAS MEDICAL COLLEGE conducted exam for chemist
and druggist.

9. WHAT IS PHARMACOPOEIA?
• PHARMACOPOEIA : The word Pharmacopoeia is derived from Greek words ‘pharmakon’ means a drug
(both remedy and poison) and ‘poiein’ means to make or create.
• Pharmacopoeia is a book containing directions for the identification of samples and the preparation of
compound medicines, and published by the authority of a government or a medical or pharmaceutical society.
• For this reason Pharmacopoeia is a legislation of a nation which sets standards and mandatory quality indices
for drugs, raw materials used to prepare them and various pharmaceutical preparations.

10. INDIAN PHARMACOPOEIA (I. P.)
• Various editions of I.P.

11. BRITISH PHARMACOPOEIA
• London Pharmacopoeia first published in 1618
• British Pharmacopoeia published in 1864 through the merger of the London, Edinburgh and Dublin
Pharmacopoeias
• Legally enforced in UK through Medicines Act 1968
• Monographs for Chemical and pharmaceutical substances
• General monographs for dosage forms
• Monographs for finished dosage forms
• One of only two English texts for monographs for finished dosage forms

12. UNITED STATE PHARMACOPOEIA (USP)
• The United States Pharmacopeia (USP) is the official public standards-setting authority for all prescription and
over-the-counter medicines, dietary supplements, and other healthcare products manufactured and sold in the
United States.
• USP sets standards for the quality of these products and works with healthcare providers to help them reach the
standards.
• USP's standards are also recognized and used in more than 130 countries.
• These standards have been helping to ensure good pharmaceutical care for people throughout the world for more
than 185 years

13. EUROPEAN PHARMACOPOEIA
• The European Pharmacopoeia of the Council of Europe is a listing of a wide range of active substances and
excipients used to prepare pharmaceutical products in Europe.
• The European Pharmacopoeia is developed by the European Directorate for the Quality of Medicines (EDQM)
and is a part of the Council of Europe, Strasbourg, France.
• The 2005 edition includes 1800 specific and general monographs, including various chemical substances,
antibiotics, biological substances; Vaccines for human or veterinary use; Radiopharmaceutical preparations;
Herbal drugs; Homoeopathic preparations and homoeopathic stocks.