Pharmacists

The word pharmacist itself can be traced to the early Greeks. During the time of Aristotle, those who compounded drugs were called pharmakons. The word has changed little from its original form and still means approximately the same thing: one who compounds drugs, medicines, or poisons.

Pharmacy as a profession grew slowly in the United States. It is said that one of our earliest pharmacists was Governor John Winthrop of the Massachusetts Bay Colony. He learned to compound drugs because there were no other sources in the colony for obtaining medicines. The first school established to teach pharmacy in this country was the Philadelphia College of Pharmacy, founded in 1821. It is still in operation today at Saint Joseph's University.

In 1906, the Federal Pure Food and Drug Act was passed. in 1927, the U.S. Department of Agriculture's Bureau of Chemistry was reorganized and renamed the Food, Drug, and Insecticide Administration. In 1930, its name was changed to the Food and Drug Administration (FDA). The FDA must approve any pharmaceutical before it can be sold in the United States. The work of the pharmacist has become increasingly important because of the complexity and potential side effects of the thousands of medications now on the market. In recent years, the role of pharmacists has expanded in health care facilities to provide medication management and other patient care services.