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This section provides information on the functions and structure of the Society, covering: key documents about the Society and its history, the Society's business plan and annual review, the annual British Pharmaceutical Conference, meetings at the Society, people and structures, the Council and its work, devolution/national pharmacy boards, awards and scholarships, job vacancies at the Society, how to complain about the society.
A career in pharmacy
This section provides information on pharmacy careers, pharmacy education policy, undergraduate education including links to schools of pharmacy, preregistration training, the roles of pharmacy support staff, and working in other countries.
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This section provides information on areas of support for the profession including registering with the Society, fee structure and payment of fees, updating personal details, clinical governance, audit resources, CPD, postgraduate courses and further training, leadership in pharmacy.
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This section covers the Society's information resources including the press office, library, advisory services, and museum; it also gives quick links to downloadable documents published by the Society.
World of pharmacy
This section provides information on the wider world of pharmacy, covering: current developments in pharmacy, the use of medicines, science, practice research, working with other UK and international bodies, events and meetings.
New professional body
This section provides information on the setting up of a new professional body for pharmacy, alongside a new regulatory body, as part of a fundamental modernisation of the pharmacy profession

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Registration
This section provides information on Registration with the RPSGB.
Protecting the public
This section provides information on the Society's work as a regulator, including fitness to practise standards, codes of ethics, the pharmacy inspectorate and its roles, how to complain about a pharmacist, pharmacy premises or pharmacy technician, and the Society's disciplinary committees.

Home > Information resources > Museum > Resources > The evolution of pharmacy

Welcome to The evolution of pharmacy, a web-based series of linked resource sheets providing an insight into the evolution of pharmacy and medicines. Each illustrated sheet provides an introduction to a subject area with suggestions for further reading and research.

This resource has been produced jointly by the Museum of the Royal Pharmaceutical Society and the British Society for the History of Pharmacy.

Who is this resource for?

The evolution of pharmacy is aimed at pharmacy lecturers and students. The sheets have been written at an introductory level to support lecturers who want to add historical content into their teaching. They are also aimed at pharmacists, technicians and for all who are intrigued to investigate past pharmacy practice or events.

What does the resource contain?

The evolution of pharmacy covers five broad themes:

A: The development of the profession
B: The history of the Pharmaceutical Society
C: The development of medicines
D: The development of dosage forms
E: The control of harmful substances

Within each theme, information sheets are organised in three levels:

Level 1: an introductory overview sheet that explores a broad theme
Level 2: a more detailed investigation of a particular topic area
Level 3: a focused look at a specific subject

Each sheet ends with a "Find out more" box which provides suggestions for linked sheets and further reading and resources.

How do I use it?

Click on the links in the table below to access the information sheets.

Theme	Level 1	Level 2	Level 3
A The development of the profession	What is a pharmacist?
B History of the Pharmaceutical Society	The evolution of the Pharmaceutical Society	Membership of the Royal Pharmaceutical Society	Qualifying as a pharmacist
C The development of medicines	The origin of medicines	Antibiotics Digitalis
D The development of dosage forms	The origins of dosage forms	Objects in the history of pharmacy series
E The control of harmful substances	The control of harmful substances

Any comments or questions?

The evolution of pharmacy is a resource in development. We welcome comments or queries to help us to correct errors, learn about how it is being used, its performance in use, or to suggest future sheets or topics. We are also happy to answer any questions about the history of pharmacy and related subjects.

Contact details:

Tel: 020 7572 2210
e-mail: museum@rpsgb.org