| dc.description.abstract | Pharmacy has had various definitions in its four thousand years. Originally, the pharmacist was called an apothecary, derived from the Middle Ages, serving as both the compounder and dispenser of medications. He worked with or in place of a physician, had little or no formal training, and could set up shop as he desired. With the advent of regulation and the development of pharmacy as a separate profession came a new definition of the pharmacist. No longer was he allowed to compound medicine or create his own filing system.
Changing the name from apothecary to pharmacist affected not only the pharmacist's title, but his job was altered as well. The professional now has at least five years of professional schooling, culminating in a state board exam and licensure procedure. Further education may be required of him and legal and ethical restraints are placed upon him, which are enforced by the state board. No longer working in place of the physician, he is part of the medical team, working with patients.
This paper provides an economic analysis of the last two centuries in the history of the pharmacist. It explains the reasons behind the changes in his job and focuses on new duties, regulations, interactions with physicans, the demand for and supply of pharmacists, and their earnings | en |
