History of Pharmacy and Key Drug Discoveries

The History of Pharmacy

• Pharmacy has a long history and spans thousands of years, its development is closely linked with human evolution and the trial and error method of finding solutions.
• The 17th century demanded better documentation and basic testing, and research was initiated in the New World (including Canada).
• In Canada, pharmacists were required to have a university education to practice.

Key Drug Discoveries

• In the last 200 to 300 years, many crucial drugs and vaccines were discovered.
• Insulin (1921) was discovered by Frederick Banting and Charles Best, while Pablum (1930) was a discovery of Fredrick Tisdall, Theodore Drake, and Alan Brown, both major Canadian discoveries.
• Other notable discoveries include the external cardiac pacemaker (1950) by John Hopps and Wilfred Bigelow, the cobalt bomb (1951) by Harold Johns, and hypothermia (1952) also by Wilfred Bigelow, all significant developments in the Canadian healthcare landscape.

Sources of Drugs

• Many modern drugs have been derived from natural sources like plants and animals:
  • Plants: Foxglove (Digoxin), Belladonna(Atropine & Scopolamine), Autumn crocus (Colchicine), Bushy scrub (Ephedrine & Ephedra), Yams (Estrogen replacement therapy), Daffodil bulbs (Galantamine), Rose hips (Vitamin C), Willow bark (Aspirin), Cinchona bark (Quinine), Opium poppy (Morphine), Periwinkle (Vincristine), Snakeroot (Reserpine)
  • Animals: Dried thyroid gland tissue (Thyroid supplements), Pregnant mares’ urine (Premarin), Ground up pancreas of cows or pigs (Insulin), Purified fat of processed sheep’s wool (Lanolin)
  • Minerals: Calcium, iron, copper, magnesium, selenium, zinc, potassium, red iron oxide (inert ingredient in Quinapril)

Pharmacology

• Pharmacology is the study of drugs and their effects on the body and is essential for improving health outcomes, but can have negative consequences if not applied correctly.
• Understanding the interconnected areas such as Anatomy and Physiology, Chemistry, and Pathophysiology is crucial for the proper application of drugs.
• Pharmacology is a complex area of study with a diverse scope, including drug names, interactions, side effects, mechanisms of action and response variations.

Pharmacology & Therapeutics

• Pharmacology focuses on the study of drugs and their use in the body, while therapeutics is concerned with the treatment of disease and suffering.
• Pharmacotherapeutics integrates the two disciplines by applying drugs to treat diseases.

Classifying Agents

• Agents can be classified as:
  • Traditional Drugs: Chemically produced in labs and routinely used by healthcare providers.
  • Biologics: Naturally produced by the body, animal cells, or microorganisms (including hormones and vaccines), routinely used by healthcare providers.
  • Natural Alternatives: Naturally produced, include herbs, extracts, vitamins, minerals, or dietary supplements.

The Role of Pharmacy Technicians

• Pharmacy technicians play a crucial role in the dispensing of prescriptions and other technical aspects of medication:
  • Entering patient profiles into systems.
  • Preparing medication products.
  • Performing final accuracy checks on prescriptions.
  • Providing instructions on medical devices.

The Regulated Pharmacy Technician

• Pharmacy technician is a newly regulated health profession in Canada.