the modern pharmacist: patient counselor,
medication expert, entrepreneur, scientist. Pharmacists have become one of the most trusted most accessible members
of the healthcare profession but how did we get here? What makes the pharmacist a bridge that connects health
providers and patients? The story begins more than 4,000
years ago with a clay tablet From the dawn of civilization we have taken
notes from the natural world around us to make use of plants as healing agents.
The first pharmacists were ancient egyptians who prepared drugs out of vines, roots, herbs,
and barks as far back as 5000 bc. Fast forward to the 17th century and the first pharmacist
skill was built the professions of pharmacists and physician were increasingly specialized.
By the 19th century medication had become something the physician prescribed
and the pharmacist filled In 1951 one year after the first doctor of
pharmacy degree was created in the U.S., the durham humphrey amendment to the
federal food drug and cosmetic act restricted the role of the pharmacist to
recommending over-the-counter medications focusing more on dispensing prescriptions
and ensuring product safety. By the 1980s that started to change pharmacists became
more active members of the health care team, dispensing medication expertise to practitioners
and counsel to patients. In 1992 the Pharm.D. became the profession's entry-level degree and
it is now mandatory to get a pharmacist license. In the complex world of modern healthcare patients
typically have easy and frequent access to their pharmacist. They trust their pharmacist to
guide them through a tangled web of insurance and co-payments and reimbursements, to watch
out for the side effects and volatility that can come from taking multiple medications.
Today's pharmacists are involved in almost all fields from information technology
to infectious disease specialists. They work in research, industry, law,
entertainment, and many other fields along with community and clinical pharmacy. It's hard
to believe it all started with one clay tablet