Roots of the Pharmacy Profession

In the Middle Ages, the profession of pharmacy was evolving in Persian and European empires. Arabic civilizations were some of the first cultures to develop a list of drugs and dosage forms (pills, syrups, extracts), and to identify the pharmacist as a qualified healthcare professional. Apothecary (pharmacy) modeled after ancient Greek and Arabic cultures. Professional guilds led to the training of chemists and pharmacists which led to the rise of formalized universities and professional organizations. Questions arose during the Renaissance (1350-1650 CE) in Europe of Greek, Roman, and Arabic influences on the profession of pharmacy. Alchemy combined elements of chemistry, metallurgy, physics, and medicine with astrology, mysticism, and spiritualism. During the Renaissance was the emergence of hospitals and pharmacies run by religious orders. These facilities served the larger communities by providing free health care and medicines to the poor. 17th century led to advances in pharmacy practice with the publishing of scientific and medical research. Greek and Latin root words, prefixes, and suffixes were used and are still used today in the scientific naming of many medical terms.