Image source: http://vhpharmacyrx.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/10/Bill-Baker-1951-s-500x574.jpg
Every day, millions of people around Australia - and the world - enjoy the benefits of pharmaceutical compounding. Surprisingly, very few people have a real clue about the origins and history behind the modern compounding pharmacy. Whether it's the neighbourhood pharmacy or the animal hospital where veterinary compounding is heavily relied on, you probably encounter pharmaceutical compounding many times per month. Below, we take a brief look at the history of this fascinating - and important - practice.
Ancient Times -
As much as 80,000 years ago, there is evidence - in the form of art, especially on cave walls - that humans were experimenting with the plants around them. Even in the earliest human history, people instinctively turned to plants as a way of curing what ailed them. Just as poisonous and ineffective plants and minerals were duly noted, so were those that presented positive benefits for curing various ailments. However, the basic benefits presented by many plants weren't enough to satisfy curious experimenters, who starting to mix things together to arrive at even more potent - and effective - concoctions.
Origins Of The Pharmacy -
The term "pharmacy" is believed to be derived from the Greek word pharmaka, which means "remedy." Since the Greeks are largely credited with being among the first people to take a truly scientific approach to the world around them, it is safe to deduce that modern pharmacy holds many of its roots in the practices of the ancient Greeks. The first chemical processes and experimentation occurred in Egypt, China and Mesopotamia; the melding of Greek beliefs and methodology with the chemical processes used by these other cultures is what helped facilitate modern pharmaceutical compounding.
Compounding Begins In Earnest -
During the Middle Ages, priests and doctors began combining - or compounding - different things together to arrive at a selection of spirits, powders and elixirs that were used to cure or deal with common ailments. In the 1600s, the Pharmacopeias of London and Paris both featured a broad range of these products that were commonly used. Neighbourhood compounding pharmacies became commonplace; however, the Industrial Revolution would have a major impact on them.
Modern Compounding -
The Industrial Revolution changed the face of pharmaceutical compounding forever. The small neighbourhood compounding pharmacy was largely done away with as medications were being produced in mass quantities with machinery. However, modern machinery did not signal the extinction of the compounding pharmacy. Instead, compounding simply evolved to involve customisation in lieu of production. Today, compounding pharmacists still do a very brisk trade as they compound popular medications to suit the needs of people, whether it's by changing the dose or enhancing a medicine with a more palatable flavour for children. Without a doubt, compounding will remain an important part of modern medicine for the foreseeable future.
