Section of History of Pharmacy
The Section brings together pharmacists and other professionals interested in the history of pharmacy. The mission of the Section is to collect and disseminate knowledge about the history of pharmacy and related fields. Twice a year the Section meets at the Symposium of History of Pharmacy, the members take part in similarly oriented events at home and abroad, also publishing works on the history of pharmacy in non-fiction and other literature.
The Section of History of Pharmacy is made up of 44 members, including experts of history of pharmacy at faculties of pharmacy, pharmacists from community pharmacy practice or other environment, as well as other professionals and non-professionals interested in the history of pharmacy.
The Section of History of Pharmacy is also member of the International Society of the History of Pharmacy.
History of Pharmacy is an autonomous scientific discipline studying the development of pharmacy in its entirety. Using historical, pharmaceutical and other scientific methods, history of pharmacy gathers and analyses various forms of knowledge about the historical development of drugs and medicines, pharmaceutical and related sciences, pharmaceutical institutions, systems of pharmacy within healthcare practice but also about remarkable professionals in the field of pharmacy etc. The accumulated knowledge is utilized for the general improvement of contemporary pharmacy practices, professional education, also to raise public awareness. Not in the least, it aims to contribute to enhancing ethical conduct throughout the pharmacy practice.
The Section of History of Pharmacy was established shortly after the foundation of the CzPS in 1969. The Section has ever since actively cooperated with the Section of History of Pharmacy under the auspices of the Czechoslovak Society for History of Science and Technology at the Czechoslovak Academy of Sciences, whose origins date back to 1961. Unlike the other, more „academic“ section, the Section of History of Pharmacy of the CzPS has always been keen on bringing together both professional pharmaceutical historians and non-professionals interested in history of pharmacy. The main goal has been to hold regular symposia of history of pharmacy where research results of section members and other professionals were presented, and in publication activity (papers in journals, anthologies of history of pharmacy). So far, the Section has also organised two international Congresses of History of Pharmacy in Prague (1971, 1991). Until 1990, the membership base had increased up to about 200 members. Following a considerable decline after 1990, a gradual growth of registered members has yet been noticed in the past years.
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