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THE FUTURE OF PHARMACY

INTERNATIONAL PHARMACY JOURNAL

by the ma ny pha r m a c o p o e i a a nd for mula r i e s that app e a r in Swit ze r la n d a nd els e w h e r e .

In the ea r l y 19 t h cent ur y, whe n alk a l o i ds a pp e a r e d , the da il y wor k of the pha r m a c is t wa s alt e r e d by the s e ne w mole cula r sub s t a n ce s . Most of the ac t i v e ingr e di e nt s wer e ind e e d is o lat- e d by pha r m a c is t s for the fir s t tim e . Sin ce 1 85 0 , ne w me dic in e s a r r i v e d , e sp e c i a ll y the fir s t pro du c t s of org a ni c che mis t r y whic h a re init i a ll y a nt ip y r e t i c a na lge si c s a nd sle e p ing pills . This phe n o m e n o n le d to ma ny cha nge s : ne w for mulat i o n s such a s c a p sul e s , t a b l e t s a nd inje c t a b l e s , a mor e pha r m a - c o l o gi c a l visio n of me dic in e a nd the t a ke - of f of pha r m a c e u - t i c a l indus t r y. The lat t e r gre w ra pi dl y, of t e n fro m communit y pha r m a c is t s ’ la b o r at o r i e s . Gr a du a ll y, a nd e sp e c i a ll y dur ing the 20 t h cent ur y, the pro p r i e t a r y me dic in e to o k ove r ma gis t r a l for mula , in p a r t i cula r a s a re sult of ma jo r cha nge s in the r a - p e ut i c a pp r o a c h e s a nd do s a ge for m s . Antibiot i c s , ps yc hi at r i c me dic in e s , hor m o n a l pro du c t s a nd ma ny ot h e r me dic in e s , de v e l o p e d sin ce the ea r l y 20 t h cent ur y, wer e thus sol d a s pro p r i e t a r y dr ug s .

The pha r m a c is t , who wa s st ill mo s t l y de v e l o p ing tr a di - t i o n a l do s a ge for m s such a s pills a nd de co c t i o n s fro m who l e e x t r a c t s in 19 0 0 , lo s t his pre d o min a n c e in the ma nuf a c t ur e of me dic in e s . The ad ve nt of indus t r i a l so ci e t y ha s the r efo r e r a dic a ll y tr a ns fo r m e d the wor k of the pha r m a c is t a s well a s his so cia l ima ge .

The new information technologies 4 ,5 Indus t r i a l so ci e t y now se e m s to gi v e way to a so - c a ll e d info r m at i o n or know l e dge so ci e t y. What ab o ut the n of the ne w profe s si o n a l wor l d in whic h the pha r m a c is t will e vo l v e? Healt h s y s t e m s a re und e r go ing st ro ng dem o gr a p hi c , so ci e t a l , e co n o mi c a nd qua lit at i v e pre s sur e s . The me dic at i o n circuit r e p r e s e nt s the r efo r e a ma jo r fina n c i a l a nd se cur it y is su e .

Medicines professionals have throughout history regularly witnessed their activities changing and evolving. The pharmacy profession is currently facing new challenges in a changing world. In 2011 the Swiss Young Pharmacists Group (swissYPG) organized an educational and reflective symposium on this theme on the occasion of the first Swiss congress of pharmacists in Interlaken 1 . This article provides a compre - hensive summary of the content of this symposium. 4

The manufacture of medicines: from apothecary to industry 2 , 3 D r i v e n by the thr e e pilla r s of tr a dit i o n a l pha r m a c y, whic h a re ma nuf a c t ur ing , st o r a ge a nd adminis t r at i o n of me dic in e s , the pha r m a c is t a pp e a r e d in Europ e in the 1 2t h cent ur y und e r the imp uls e of cha nge wit hin Arab scie n c e s . Ga le ni c s wa s the n dr i v ing e x p a n si o n of the profe s si o n . The ap ot h e c a r y ma nu - f a c t ur e d ma ny pre p a r at i o n s , such a s ele c t u a r i e s , pills a nd tro c h e s wit hin the pr a c t i c e of pol y p h a r m a c y. The pha r m a c is t of the Middle Ages , and the n of the Rena is s a n ce , foun d a leg a l and ins t it ut i o n a l b a sis sup p o r t e d by mult ip l e regulat i o n s . B ot h the acce s s to the profe s si o n a nd the e du c at i o n of the fut ur e a p ot h e c a r y wer e co difi e d a nd emp h a si ze d t wo a sp e c t s : the bo o k know l e dge a nd the pr a c t i c a l know l e dge , refle c t ing the role of pha r m a c is t s in the ma nuf a c t ur ing of me dic in e s . D e sp it e se v e r a l p a r a digm shif t s that af fe c t tre at m e nt , such a s sp a g y r i c me dic at i o n of Parace lsus or ne w dr ug s fro m the Amer ic a s , the cent r a l pla ce of the ap ot h e c a r y in ma nuf a c t ur- ing cont inu e d unt il the 19t h cent ur y. It is als o e s t a b lish e d

THE SWISS YOUNG PHARMACISTS GROUP PREPARING FOR THE FUTURE BY EXAMINING THE PAST

François Ledermann, Antoine Geissbühler, Gerrit Borchard, Stefan Mühlebach,Jean-François Locca,

Jacqueline Bezençon, Nicolas Widmer