The direct meaning of the concept of “pharmacy” (from the Greek apotheke - warehouse, storage) - a specialized store or warehouse - has changed over time, and now this word in all languages ​​means a healthcare institution that prepares, stores and dispenses medicines, dressings, sanitation and patient care items, i.e. pharmacy in its modern sense.

The first mention of a pharmacy (apotheke) as a place for storing medicines is found in Hippocrates (400 BC). Claudius Galen (131-207 AD) calls a pharmacy (officina) a place not only for storing, but also for preparing medicinal drugs.

The first pharmacies in Europe appeared in 1100 AD. in monasteries. The monks prepared medicines and distributed them free of charge to those in need. 100 years later in Venice, thanks to the development of the Solerno Medical School, the first city pharmacies began to open. However, until the end of the 11th century. in Europe there were no pharmacies as certain trading establishments where one could buy or order the necessary medicine, so people created their own “medicines” by collecting and processing plants, minerals and other ingredients. At the same time, it was impossible to find the same remedy from two different “specialists” for obvious reasons: each of them made drugs according to their own ideas and preferences. The most progressive at that time were the monks who worked in laboratories and schools at monasteries.

In the 15th century the term “pharmacist” appears (from the Latin provisor - anticipating, anticipating, anticipating), which indicates the important role of the pharmacist in the process of treating patients: the doctor makes a diagnosis, and the pharmacist foresees the direction of development of the disease and, with the help of medications, predetermines and corrects its course.

Pharmacists from Western Europe came to the Moscow state as accompanying doctors invited to the royal court. Information about such doctors has been preserved since the mid-15th century.

The first royal pharmacy, organized in accordance with Western regulations, was opened under Ivan the Terrible in 1581. However, the attitude towards such establishments in Russia was determined by the church charter of the times of Vladimir Monomakh, in which hospitals were declared church institutions, and doctors were declared church people. Perhaps the creation of the first Moscow pharmacy was influenced by the order (statute) of Frederick II of Hohenstaufen, which became the basis for the regulation of pharmacy activities in England. The Tsar's pharmacy in Russia was well stocked with medicines, which were originally brought from England. The list of medicines delivered to Moscow in 1602 included opium, camphor, saffron, citrus seed, Alexandrine leaf, “Spanish flies”, etc. Almost all trade caravans carried pharmaceutical goods in large quantities and assortment. However, at the Moscow markets you could buy your own “growings”: turpentine - turpentine oil, cinchona bark, rhubarb, musk, cloves, almonds, chilibucha. Pharmaceutical goods were sold in the "green" and "mosquito" aisles.

Trade in pharmaceutical products grew so much that at the beginning of the 17th century. special warehouses and pharmacies were founded in Polotsk, Mogilev and Arkhangelsk.

The Tsar's pharmacy was a well-equipped and luxurious institution, but the position of the Tsar's pharmacy left a mark of suspicion on its work. Multi-stage control was carried out over the activities of the personnel. Even a prescription drug was not considered ready for use; the most reliable boyars who brought medicine to the king had to try them. In addition to medicines, the pharmacy sold goods to various royal services: oil for cleaning arquebuses, mixtures for making ink, medicines for the royal horses.

The pharmacy's activities gradually expanded; medicines began to be dispensed not only to the royal family, but also to the boyars close to them: some of the medicines were "free of charge", some - at special prices.

After strengthening the position of the pharmacy as a state institution, work was started to supply it with medicinal raw materials from local sources. In this case, the rich experience of traditional healers and herbal collectors was used.

The pharmacy processed raw materials and prepared medicines. This was done by a large staff of pharmacists, “alchemists”, “distillers” and apothecary students. During this period, pharmaceuticals were intertwined with handicrafts, primarily dyeing, icon painting, construction, etc. Many well-known pharmaceutical “technologies”, primarily for the production of various dosage forms (sugars, syrups, vodkas, composites, pills, oils, alcohols, ointments), were similar to recipes for the preparation of paints, primers, inks, varnishes, adhesives, adhesives for construction work, regulations for the production of metal alloys.

To supply pharmacies with medicines, it was necessary to create pharmaceutical gardens and vegetable gardens. The first of them was located on the Moscow River near the Kremlin wall, the second - on Myasnitskaya Street, “at the gate”; in 1657 there was already a whole “Ogorodnaya Slobodka” there. The third apothecary garden was founded in the German settlement.

The new Moscow pharmacy was founded on March 20, 1672 "... on the new Gostiny Dvor, where the Order to the Great Parish was to clear the wards, and in those wards the Great Sovereign (Mikhail Fedorovich Romanov) ordered to build a pharmacy to sell all kinds of medicines to people of all ranks." Thus, this pharmacy was the first public Russian pharmacy. By Decree of Fyodor Alekseevich, a third pharmacy was opened at the Nikitsky Gate at the first Civil Hospital in 1862.

Pharmacies were also established in Vologda, Kazan, Pskov, Astrakhan, Nezhin, Vilna (Vilnius), Novgorod, Kyiv, Penza, and Kursk.

Thanks to the development of natural sciences, including medicine, in Russia technical chemistry, including pharmacy, was at the same level as in Europe. Two factors played an important role in this: folk traditions of handicraft and book printing, which developed in Russia under special conditions. An important principle in the development of craft production was the selection of the best samples for review and creation of a corpus of one’s own texts.

In connection with the emergence of pharmacy trade, it was necessary to establish management of a new type of activity. There is evidence of the existence of an Apothecary Chamber already under Ivan the Terrible, which under Boris Godunov (mid-17th century) was transformed into the Apothecary Order.

The pharmacy reform carried out under Peter I (early 18th century) actually consolidated the European type and European standards of pharmacy activity. At the same time, some of the activities carried out by the Russian authorities were progressive and ahead of many events taking place in Western European countries. First of all, the sale of pharmaceutical goods through “green shops” was prohibited. In fact, this meant recognizing the fact that pharmacies are special sanitary institutions, and not trading shops or wine cellars. The decree “On the punishment of those who are ignorant of medical sciences and, through ignorance, in the use of medicines causing death to patients,” dated February 14, 1700, legally established mandatory professional control over the distribution of medicines.

This was followed by the creation of free pharmacies (Decree “On the establishment of eight pharmacies in Moscow again so that no wines would be sold in them, on their administration to the Ambassadorial Prikaz and on the destruction of greenery shops” dated November 22, 1701).

The Pharmacy Order was transformed into the Medical Office. In 1714, the Main Pharmacy, founded in Moscow in 1706, which had a large and well-equipped laboratory, was moved to the new capital. In 1719, the Apothecary Garden was founded in St. Petersburg and measures were taken to train pharmacists from among the Russians. In 1721, the Medical Chancellery was renamed the Medical College. The first attempts to establish pharmacy management led to the creation of a number of short-lived institutions, for example the so-called physicists in Moscow and St. Petersburg, which were designed to provide scientific supervision over the work of pharmacies.

When carrying out reforms, the authorities relied on Russian pharmacists, whose professional training complemented the experience of invited foreign specialists. One of the first Russian pharmacists was Daniil Alekseevich Gurchin. The first charter to open a free pharmacy was issued to I.B. Gregorius on November 27, 1701, the second to D.A. Gurchin on December 28, 1701, but his pharmacy was actually founded and was operating long before receiving Peter’s charter, and D.A. A. Gurchin was already called “the pharmacist of his royal majesty.”

By order of the Medical College, Dr. Ellisen wrote “Pharmacology” (1797), which contained descriptions of drugs indicating their effects - more than 100 recipes, as well as a “Schedule of Pharmacy Items” for military regimental and battalion pharmacies.

Control over the sale of drugs was also strengthened. In 1731, in connection with the increasing cases of poisoning from potions purchased at markets, a decree was issued prohibiting the sale of drugs containing arsenic in shops and shopping arcades.

In 1733, this ban was extended to other poisonous drugs: sublimate, chilibukha, “vitriol and amber oils.” These substances were confiscated and transferred to pharmacies. In 1756, a Decree was issued according to which, under threat of a heavy fine and corporal punishment, it was forbidden for persons without medical education to engage in medical practice and to sell drugs outside of pharmacies.

The creation of the pharmacopoeia made it possible in 1783 to issue a Senate resolution prohibiting pharmacists from independently making changes to recipes. In 1784, the Senate made an attempt to take control of the trade in finished medicines: they were allowed to be traded only after special tests and the presentation of the results of such tests to the Senate.

The legislative basis for the creation of a network of public and private pharmacies was nevertheless laid - on September 20, 1789, the first Russian Pharmacy Charter was published, in 23 paragraphs the experience of pharmacy management accumulated during the 18th century was summarized. The Charter contained no indications of a pharmacy monopoly - it finally opened the way for the development of a network of pharmacies throughout the Russian state. The Charter included provisions on the responsibilities of the pharmacy manager, on the procedure for dispensing drugs according to doctors’ prescriptions, on the storage and dispensing of poisonous drugs, and on the organization of the pharmacy.

In 1789, the first Russian pharmaceutical tax was published. Before this, written rates were sent to pharmacies, which indicated maximum prices.

Finally, in 1797, medical boards were established to control the activities of provincial doctors and pharmacists. A set of acts with legislative force, supplemented by the second edition of the State Pharmacopoeia (1798), served as the basis for the further development of pharmacy and medical legislation.

Regulation of pharmaceutical activities was stimulated by the control functions of pharmacies. At the request of the government, not only the Main Pharmacy, but also many private pharmacies often carried out detailed control over the quality of goods, and not only pharmaceutical ones. Analyzes of a variety of products, both coming from abroad and those that were traditionally exported, made it possible to identify fakes and counterfeits, as well as simply record the composition of certain goods.

In 1802, by decree of Alexander I, ministries were established in Russia, the system of which as a whole was formed by 1810-1811. The central bodies governing medical and pharmaceutical activities were the Medical Department and the Medical Council of the Ministry of Internal Affairs, and the local ones were councils with county and city doctors subordinate to them.

After 1917 At least two interrelated processes occurred that determined the features of the development of domestic pharmacy up to 1991 - the nationalization of pharmacies and the construction of a strict system of vertical management of the work of pharmacies and the movement of goods. However, during these years, pharmacies in their work were strictly focused on the precise performance of socially significant functions as healthcare institutions.

In connection with the transition to market mechanisms for managing the work of pharmaceutical enterprises, not only professional and social requirements are put forward, but also the need arises to use active market (marketing) methods to intensify the trading activities of pharmacies. Since 1991, the number of pharmacies has been increasing, the number of private pharmacies is growing, and pharmacy chains are developing. New groups of goods are appearing in pharmacies, the range of finished dosage forms is increasing, and there is a free display of goods. Under these conditions, the role of the pharmacist who dispenses finished drugs is significantly increased, as a specialist who knows the nomenclature of new drugs and has data on their comparative effectiveness, as a highly professional consultant in the rational choice of over-the-counter drugs. Modern pharmacists gain all this knowledge only by studying pharmacology.

The role of a pharmacist in a pharmacy is as significant as the role of a doctor, with the only difference being that the doctor, conducting the treatment process, is responsible for the timeliness, quality and results of medical care, and the pharmacist, providing the treatment process with pharmaceutical products, is responsible for the timeliness and quality pharmaceutical assistance.

The first Russian pharmacy, opened in 1581, served the royal family. For the common people, medicines were sold in green and mosquito shops, and such free trade in “potions” often led to poisoning and abuse of poisonous and potent substances. In this regard, the first pharmacy for the city population was opened in Moscow in 1672, and in 1701, after Peter I allowed private pharmacies and prohibited the sale of medicines in shops, the so-called pharmacy monopoly was introduced. Only one such establishment was allowed to open in a certain territory. By the end of the 18th century there were already over a hundred of them in Russia. Since the opening of the first pharmacy, the pharmacy business in the country has been in charge of the Pharmacy Chamber, transformed in 1594-1595 into the Pharmacy Order, which in turn was renamed the Office of the Main Pharmacy in 1714, the Medical Office in 1725, and in 1763 -m - to the Medical College. The activities of pharmacies were regulated by the Pharmacy Charter of the Code of Laws of the Russian Empire, published in 1789. One of the paragraphs of this charter read: “The pharmacist, as a good citizen who faithfully maintains his sworn position, is obliged to be skillful, honest, conscientious, prudent, sober, diligent, present at all times and fulfilling his position for the general good accordingly.”

An image of the state emblem was placed in the form of a stamp on Russian pharmaceutical documents, signatures and packaging. Pharmacies were exempt from taxes, military billets and other duties. The benefits were a kind of compensation for the strict regime established by the state. All medicines used for the manufacture of drugs in the pharmacy had to meet established quality standards. A pharmacist's tax (an official document with prices) was also introduced to limit the rise in prices for medicines. And the management of the establishment was entrusted only to a person who had received a special education.

additional literature

The first pharmacy in Russia was founded by James French in 1581. Frencham's pharmacy was royal, court. It was supplied with medicines both from abroad and from various regions of Russia.

To collect medicinal plants, apothecary gardens and vegetable gardens were established: in Moscow they were initially located near the Kamenny Bridge, at the Myasnitsky Gate, near the German Settlement, and then in other places. The first apothecary garden occupied an area of ​​about 2.5 hectares. The number of pharmaceutical gardens was constantly growing. Planting in these gardens was carried out in accordance with the orders of the Pharmacy Order.

A significant part of medicinal raw materials was prescribed “from overseas” (Arabia, Western European countries - Germany, Holland, England). The Pharmacy Order sent out its letters to foreign specialists, who sent the required medicines to Moscow.

The Pharmacy Department was in charge of the Pharmacy Court, which was an industrial enterprise that was engaged in the manufacture of medicines, pharmaceutical glassware and equipment. In the pharmaceutical yards, drying, grinding, and storage of medicinal plants and other substances were carried out. For this purpose, barns, cellars, glaciers and other premises were built. It is known that the Moscow Pharmacy Yard supplied villages near Moscow with wine and raw honey. Because of this, a profitable business at all times, many orders tried to obtain the right to own and manage the apothecary yard. Finally, under Tsar Fyodor Alekseevich (late 17th century), the apothecary courtyard and other courtyards of Moscow and other districts, which previously belonged to the Order of Secret Affairs, were transferred by royal decree to the Order of the Great Palace.

Already at the end of the 16th - beginning of the 17th century, doctors in Russia used not only such commonly used imported drugs as opium, camphor, Alexandrine leaf, etc., but also many medicinal plants from the arsenal of Russian folk medicine - licorice root, juniper and a number of others. Subsequently, the range of drugs dispensed from the pharmacies of the Pharmacy Order increased even more. At the same time, there were more medicinal herbs growing in various regions of Russia: such herbs were supplied to the Pharmacy Order without fail as a kind of state tax - berry duty. Failure to comply with the berry duty was punishable by imprisonment.

The use of medicinal plants, or, in modern terms, herbal medicine, was then firmly established in the medical practice of doctors of the Pharmacy Order. It was believed, for example, that the initial letter “will remove phlegm from the chest. “Crushes kidney stones and removes urine”: it was prescribed as an expectorant and diuretic, and was also used in the treatment of fevers and liver diseases, to heal wounds and prevent poisoning. Garden mint was used as an antiemetic and appetite stimulant. Chamomile has been used to treat 25 diseases, most often as an anti-inflammatory agent. In the medicines that were prepared in pharmacies, in addition to herbal remedies, pharmacists prescribed by doctors also included various organic and inorganic substances - fat, honey, various minerals and metals.

Beginning in the 30s of the 17th century, medicines from the pharmacy, at the direction of the tsar, began to be gradually dispensed “for all ranks of people.” In 1672, the Tsar ordered “to clean out the chambers in the new Gostiny Dvor, where the Great Parish was ordered, and in those chambers the Great Sovereign ordered the construction of a pharmacy for the sale of all kinds of medicines of all ranks of people.” This second pharmacy (it was called “New”) quickly gained authority in Moscow: they sold medicines to “people of all ranks” here, and military units were supplied with medicines from here. In 1682, a third pharmacy was opened at the first civilian hospital at the Nikitsky Gate.

This is how the Swedish diplomat I.F. Kielburger described the Moscow pharmacies that existed in 1674: “One pharmacy is located in the Kremlin, but from it medicines are dispensed only to the Tsar and some noble gentlemen, and it constitutes a store (warehouse) for another pharmacy. It is managed by a German named Gutbir.

Another pharmacy in the city and also a state-owned one; It now employs as pharmacists Christian Eichler, Johann Gutmensch and Robert Bentom, and in addition two Englishmen and several workers, foreign and Russian.” All medicines are issued under seal (i.e., according to prescriptions - M.M.) and are extremely expensive.”

At the same time, attempts were made to establish pharmacies in other cities of Russia. In 1673, it was ordered to establish a pharmacy in Vologda, and in 1679 - in Kazan.

The relationships between the physicians who worked in the Pharmacy Department were common for medicine of that time and strictly adhered to the established hierarchy - doctors, doctors, chiropractors, pharmacists, doctors, alchemists, pharmacy students, and other workers. However, at times, for some reason, these relationships became aggravated and ceased to correspond to the official hierarchy. Then the authorities intervened in the matter - the Pharmacy Order was prepared, and the Tsar signed the corresponding decree.

For example, the decree of Tsars Ivan and Peter Alekseevich “On improving the organization of pharmacy and medical affairs in the Pharmacy Order,” which stated that doctors and pharmacists do not have good agreement among themselves, “for no reason,” there is often “enmity, quarrel” between them , slander and dislike." Hence, among junior ranks of doctors and pharmacists, “disobedience in matters of negligence.” The decree notes that in this situation, manufactured medicines, instead of benefit, can cause suffering to people. To establish proper order in medicine and in pharmacies, the decree ordered every doctor and pharmacist to take an oath and oath.

Although the value of such means of preventing professional conflicts as oaths and oaths has long been questionable, still in the 17th century, one must think, they had effective force. However, as acquaintance with the published archival materials of the Pharmacy Order shows, there were few such conflicts in the medical environment.

In 1654, under the Pharmacy Order, a state medical school was opened. Children of archers, clergy and service people were accepted into it. At the same time, the apprenticeship system continued to operate. Students of medicine and pharmacy were sent to experienced doctors and pharmacists to gain the appropriate knowledge and skills. With the increase in the number of pharmacies, there is a need for government supervision over their activities.

The Pharmacy Order began to exercise control over the manufacture of medicines in the court, and later in the “free” pharmacies. The order carried out a forensic medical examination, for which herbs and medicines, the composition of which was unknown, were sent to him. Inspection and research of drugs and unknown herbs were carried out by doctors, pharmacists and alchemists.

The scribes of the Pharmacy Order were engaged in the preparation of medical and pharmaceutical literature. There was a library at the Pharmacy Order. In the affairs of the Pharmacy Order, starting from 1632 , the names of Russians are mentioned pharmacists Andrei Ivanov, Ivan Mikhailov, Roman Ulyanov and others. In the second half of the 17th century, Tikhon Ananin and Vasily Shilov carried out a lot of work on pharmacy. Tikhon Ananyin received training in the Pharmacy Department. At the beginning of his activity (1670-1678) he was called a “disciple of alchemy,” then “alchemist.” Ananyin was engaged in the preparation of new pharmaceutical products and raw materials for their manufacture. However, his activities were not limited to this. He taught pharmaceutical business to his three sons - Ivan, Lev and Yakov and the doctor's son Semyon Larionov. The pharmaceutical order valued Ananyin and trusted him to participate in trips to buy medicinal plants and medicines for the pharmaceutical garden in Kyiv and abroad. During the same period, Vasily Shilov worked in the Pharmacy Prikaz. He headed the “new” pharmacy, manufactured medicines, took medicines received from abroad, was in charge of collecting medicinal herbs in the apothecary garden outside the Myasnitsky Gate (now the Kirov Gate in Moscow), and trained pharmacists. Thus, Russian pharmacy began to take shape.

It is hardly possible to imagine modern life without a pharmacy. This is an institution that everyone has visited at least once. And people visit him not only to buy medicine, but also for advice: “What to take for insomnia?”, “What will help with a sore throat?”, “What to drink if you have frayed nerves?” Many people, when faced with health problems, first go to the pharmacy rather than to the doctor. It's no secret that modern pharmacists perform no less important functions than doctors. However, this has been the case before; you just have to take a closer look at the history of the development of pharmacies.

Several hundred years ago such specialized institutions did not exist, but shamans, sorcerers, sorcerers and healers performed their role very well. They collected medicinal herbs and roots and prepared medicinal potions for their fellow tribesmen. Similarities to modern pharmacy establishments began to appear only at the end of the 13th century.

Word " Pharmacy" is of Greek origin. "Apothece" means warehouse, storeroom, storehouse. Such premises existed in ancient times at the courts of the nobility and the rich. Medicines, herbs, elixirs, tinctures and powders prepared by the best healers were stored there.

The first mention of a pharmacy as a place for storing medicines was found in Hippocrates (400 BC). The description of a pharmacy as a room where they not only contain, but also produce medicinal drugs, appears in Claudius Galen (121− 207 AD). The very first officially registered pharmacy in the world was opened in the East. In the capital of the Arab Caliphate, the city of Baghdad.

The first pharmacies in Europe

In Europe, until the 11th century, there were no establishments where you could order the manufacture of medicine or buy ready-made medicine.

Monks were considered the most progressive in medieval Europe. They prepared medicinal herbs, made tinctures and elixirs. The monasteries had laboratories and schools. Medicines were used both in monastery hospitals and were distributed free of charge to all those in need. It was then that the first recipes appeared, which began with the words - With God! (Cum Deo!) It was there that unique manuscripts on pharmacology were preserved. These are collections of pharmacopoeial articles on medicinal herbs and drugs collected and studied by monastery scientists. These materials describe technologies for growing, collecting and processing medicinal plants and methods of using them for medicinal purposes.

By the 12th century, the first pharmacies began to appear in Spain, and then in many other European cities. Public universities began to flourish in Paris, Oxford, Prague, and Heidelberg. Monastic schools, where the pharmacist was a surgeon, therapist and scientist, were unable to compete with these institutions and their scientific capabilities. The eastern school of pharmacology became especially popular at that time; it was studied by both doctors and students. In pharmacies in Spain and France, its supporters sell pills, powders, and smelling salts compiled from Moorish and Persian manuscripts.

In the 15th century the term appeared pharmacist. Translated from Latin, the word provisor means predictive. The doctor identifies the disease, and the pharmacist predicts its direction and, by selecting medications, corrects and directs its course. This is the original meaning of this profession.

From the very beginning, a feature of pharmacies at all times and in all countries was their special status in comparison with other trading establishments. The scope of activity, work rules, methods of storing and dispensing medicines, the level of education of employees - all this was determined by special documents that have the force of law.

The most indicative in this sense is one of the decrees of Frederick II Staufen, ruler of Sicily and the Holy Roman Empire. The famous law of this king was issued in 1224. He was the first to distinguish between the duties of a doctor and a pharmacist. Doctors were only required to diagnose and treat patients, and pharmacists were only required to manufacture and sell medicines.

Pharmacy activities in Russia

In Russia, the first pharmacy appeared in 1581, during the reign of Ivan the Terrible, and it was used only by the royal family. For commoners, medicines were sold in mosquito (paints, varnishes, chemicals) or green (spices, herbs, vegetables) shops. Such free trade in drugs often led to poisoning with potent and toxic drugs. It happened that people died from pills bought in shops. In order to correct the situation in the capital, the first pharmacy for the people was opened in 1672.

In 1701, Peter I introduced a pharmacy monopoly. By his decree, he prohibits the sale of medicines in shops and allows the creation of private pharmacies. However, only one point of sale of medicines was allowed in a certain territory. By the end of the 18th century, there were already more than a hundred such points in Russia. From the opening of the very first Russian pharmacy, the activities of these institutions were subordinated to the Pharmacy Chamber, which was then renamed the Pharmacy Order, which in turn was transformed into the Medical Office, and then renamed the Medical College.

The Code of Laws of the Russian Empire contained a special Pharmacy Charter, which regulated the work of pharmacies. Thus, one of the clauses of the charter concerning a pharmacy employee reads: “The pharmacist, as a good citizen who faithfully holds a sworn position, is obliged to be skillful, honest, cooperative, prudent, sober, diligent, present at all times and fulfilling his position for the general good accordingly.” .

State control over pharmacies was quite strict. All medicines manufactured and dispensed in pharmacies had to meet certain quality standards. To prevent price increases for pharmacies' products, there was a special document with prices - the pharmacist's fee. Only a person with a special education could manage the institution. Documents and packages were stamped with the state emblem. As a kind of compensation for such strict control, the state provided pharmacies with quite significant benefits: getting rid of taxes, military billets, etc.

Modern pharmacy

With the development of science, new discoveries in the field of medicine and pharmacology, pharmacy begins to improve and develop. A modern pharmacy is a specialized organization that offers customers a wide range of medications, as well as preventive, hygiene, and cosmetic products. Both sick and healthy people come here. The fast pace of life, environmental pollution, stress and political factors, all this forces a person to pay more attention to health and preventive measures.

And if just 15-20 years ago the pharmacies in our country were like twins, today the situation has changed radically. Pharmacies have an interesting design, convenient display windows, and information desks. New types of establishments called “pharmacy supermarket” have appeared. Here you can familiarize yourself with the range of medicines, read the instructions, and choose the manufacturer. These are certified medications manufactured in factory conditions.

And yet there are still individually made medicines. And if in Soviet times the share of these drugs was 15% of the total volume of medicines, today their number is very small. There are fewer and fewer pharmacies with production departments. Newly opened pharmacy outlets are pharmacies of finished dosage forms.

Many modern pharmacies have their own websites, where they post a list of drugs, descriptions, publications about their use, and information about the availability of drugs. In the online store you can choose the medicine you need, pay for it and order home delivery.

The world's first pharmacy appeared in the 8th century in Baghdad - at that time the capital of the Arab Caliphate. In Europe, similar establishments opened in the 11th century in Cordoba and Toledo, and then in other countries. I’m a little late with this, but there are very interesting pages in the domestic history of the pharmacy business.

The first is the princess

As you know, back in 1963, the version about the poisoning of Tsar Ivan the Terrible and his son Tsarevich Ivan with sublimate (mercuric chloride) was confirmed. After examining the remains, a dose of about 1.3 mg was found in each, which is more than 30 times higher than the maximum permissible concentration of 0.04 mg. Where did this chemical substance that became poison come from? Most likely, from the Tsar’s pharmacy - the first in Russia and opened in Moscow in 1581 by decree of Ivan the Terrible himself. After all, mercury was then used to treat syphilis, and it could well have been present in the pharmacy.

Why "princess"? Yes, because this pharmacy served only the king and his household. Under Ivan the Terrible, in the same 1581, the Pharmacy Prikaz was created - the highest body of medical administration that existed in the Moscow state in the 10th-11th centuries. It is characteristic that it was located in the same building as the pharmacy directly in the Kremlin. This spoke of its significance, because there were 40 orders in total and not all of them were located in the very center of the capital.

However, this arrangement is not surprising - initially the task of the Pharmacy Prikaz was to supervise the treatment of the Tsar and his household, the work of invited foreign doctors, and especially the medications given to Ivan the Terrible (no matter what happened!).

Couldn't do without vodka

Where, before the advent of pharmacies, were medicines and various healing potions sold? After all, people were sick and had to be treated. Numerous herbal and mosquito shops offered remedies for improving health. Naturally, uncontrolled trade often led to the abuse of poisonous and potent drugs - such treatment was not much different from witchcraft.

Despite these “excesses,” the second pharmacy appeared in Moscow only under Tsar Alexei Mikhailovich, in 1672. It was aimed at wealthy citizens and foreigners - the prices there were frankly steep.

A significant contribution to the development of pharmacy in Russia was made by Peter I, who, as you know, was keenly interested in medicine and everything connected with it. Having familiarized himself with the experience of setting up the pharmacy business in Europe, in 1701 he issued a decree on the opening of private pharmacies and prohibiting the sale of medicines in green shops and other places. “Everyone who wishes to open a private pharmacy on their own, Russians or foreigners,” said this decree, “receives a non-monetary position and a grant of a letter.”

A year later, Peter I allowed the opening of eight private (free) pharmacies in Moscow, providing pharmacists with some benefits, including exemption from a number of taxes and military service. It is noteworthy that, unlike traditional stores, pharmacies were allowed to place an image of the state emblem on signs and documentation - this indicated the status of the institution.

True, there was a problem: pharmacies themselves remained unusual for ordinary people - it was necessary to somehow lure them there. Then, by order of the tsar, employees and soldiers were given medicines according to government prescriptions free of charge, and in addition, the medicines were accompanied by a glass of vodka (infused with pine needles - an anti-scorbutic remedy!) or a mug of beer. Such a neighborhood...

The same age as the city of Petrov

In St. Petersburg, the first pharmacy appeared in 1704 in the Peter and Paul Fortress. It was mainly focused on the needs of the military garrison, but five years later it received the status of the main prescription. After the development of the city, the pharmacy moved to Millionnaya Street, where the adjacent lane is still called Aptekarsky. At the beginning of the 19th century, it was moved to a building on the corner of Nevsky Prospect and Fontanka near the Anichkov Bridge, and the pharmacy itself was also called “Anichkova”. At 66 Nevsky Prospekt it existed until the beginning of the 21st century.

The emergence of a large number of private pharmacies required the publication of legislative acts on the basis of which the pharmacy business, which had become very profitable, was to develop. The first such comprehensively thought-out document can be considered the Pharmacy Charter, published in 1789. By the way, it was included in the Code of Laws of the Russian Empire.

At the same time, a pharmacy tax was issued, limiting the desire of pharmacy owners to arbitrarily set prices for medicines. This was an official government document with prices used to determine the cost of drugs manufactured in a pharmacy (as a rule, almost everything sold was produced within its walls). The pharmacy tax was periodically updated - the last one in pre-revolutionary Russia was published in 1911. Although it was revived in Soviet times: in 1928, its publication was resumed by the People's Commissariat of Health of the RSFSR.

In accordance with the law of 1873, new free pharmacies could open only with the permission of the governor, but with a representation (petition) from the local medical board. It was taken into account that one pharmacy can serve 12 thousand people annually and dispense medicines according to 30 thousand prescriptions - such is the legalized productivity.
Medical police: you won’t spoil it!

The owner of a pharmacy was required to have the title of pharmacist - a pharmacy worker with a special pharmaceutical education - or entrust its management to a person who had this title. Such a manager must be at least 25 years old. In 1815, there were 43 pharmacies in St. Petersburg: 11 state-owned (state) and 32 “free” (private).

The law also determined the necessary structure of the house to accommodate the pharmacy being opened, as well as a list of pharmaceutical equipment and devices. Compliance with these standards was monitored by a specially created medical-police department - a very strict regulatory body. Thus, for selling medicine at an inflated price, a fine was levied on the guilty pharmacy manager. In the case where a pharmacist tried to make money, not only did he pay the fine himself, but also five rubles were taken from the pharmacy manager - a large amount for those times.

The requirements for educational qualifications were not always met - there were not enough specialized educational institutions. Thus, in 1896, only 22 out of 63 owners had a pharmacist degree. Often, pharmacy managers did not have a pharmaceutical education. True, over time the situation changed for the better.

If in Europe pharmaceutical degrees for pharmacy specialists were introduced back in the 18th century, then in Russia they were established only in 1838 by the “Rules on examinations of medical, veterinary and pharmaceutical officials.” There were three of them: a pharmaceutical assistant, a pharmacist and a pharmacist. In 1845, instead of the somewhat mundane-sounding "pharmacist" degree, the highest pharmaceutical degree, the Master of Pharmacy, was introduced. The right to award these degrees after appropriate examinations was granted to several universities (primarily St. Petersburg and Moscow) and the Military Medical Academy.

Pharmacy General

The relatively small number of pharmacies was explained by the fact that the so-called pharmaceutical warehouses that sold medicines and related products in bulk were not officially classified as pharmacies. At the same time, such warehouses also carried out retail sales directly to the population, essentially performing the functions of pharmacies in one or another area of ​​the city.

There were also pharmacy stores. At the end of the 19th century, the latter supplied troops and medical institutions of the military land and naval departments, and partly civilian institutions with medicines, dishes and other pharmaceutical items. In St. Petersburg there were initially only three of them, but since the number of pharmacies was still regulated, persons who had not received the appropriate permission opened pharmacy stores. In 1913 there were several dozen of them.

As for the location of pharmacies, the largest number of them were located in the center of St. Petersburg. On Nevsky
Avenue in 1896 there were six pharmacies, on Sadovaya and Gorokhovaya streets there were, respectively, six and five pharmacies. In the center of the capital, four homeopathic pharmacies also sold their products. In this regard, residents of the outskirts were forced to go to the city center for medicine.