National Pharmacist Day

National Pharmacist Day is an American holiday created to honor the work of pharmacists. These professionals are always ready to help with the choice of medicines, offer alternatives, and advise on individual items. The holiday is every year on January 12th.

History

There is no exact information about when this holiday was established. It is believed that National Pharmacist Day was invented by a group of American pharmacists who wanted to draw public attention to such an important profession, which often goes unnoticed.

In ancient times, pharmacists were called herbalists. These people selected the optimal herbal formulations that were used to treat various diseases.

The official separation between doctors and pharmacists occurred in 1683 in Bruges, Belgium. Then the relevant law was passed, according to which doctors were forbidden to create drugs for the treatment of their patients. The first pharmacy was established in America in 1751.

The role of pharmacists increased significantly after the Second World War, when medicine began to develop rapidly. Today, these professionals are responsible for compliance with established requirements for the storage of medicines and the selection of optimal medicines as prescribed by a doctor. In addition, pharmacists must have a good understanding of the properties of drugs sold and their interactions in order to provide professional advice to buyers.

Interesting facts

• Trade enterprises that sell medicines were established in ancient China. Today they are called pharmacies.
• The term “pharmacist” is of ancient Greek origin. It can be deciphered as “a person who gives healing and relieves diseases.”
• The oldest symbol of pharmaceuticals is a cup with a mortar. Today we can observe in pharmacies a bowl that is wrapped around a snake. A similar image was used in the 6th century BC.

How to celebrate

Visit pharmacies on National Pharmacist Day and express your gratitude to pharmacists for their rather difficult but important work for the whole society. Congratulate your friends and acquaintances on the holiday if one of them works in pharmacies.

Learn more about the origin of such a field as pharmaceuticals on this day. Share information about the holiday on social networks so that more people know about it.

When is National Pharmacist Day in 2025?

National Pharmacist Day is observed on January 12 each year.

Observations