How did the first pharmacies appear? When did the first pharmacies appear in Russia? Where did the world's first pharmacy open?
The first mention of a pharmacist by name in Russian chronicles dates back to 1553, when the “Lithuanian Matyushko the pharmacist” (pharmacist Matthias) lived in Moscow.
The resettlement of foreign doctors, pharmacists and surgeons to Moscow began in the middle of the 16th century, when doctors and pharmacists appeared on the royal lists of “needed people” who were at that time invited to the court from Europe. So, in 1567, Dr. Reynold and the pharmacist Thomas Cover (Carver, Thomas) arrived in our country from London, who served at the Russian court. It is not known whether there was already a pharmacy in Moscow or any special premises where visiting pharmacists worked.
The first reliable information about the first in Russia pharmacy date back to 1581, when during the reign of Ivan IV the Terrible (Ivan IV, 1533-1584) a court pharmacy was established on the territory of the Moscow Kremlin in a stone building opposite the Chudov Monastery. They called her “Sovereign”, since she served only the Tsar and members of the royal family. At the end of the same year, at the invitation of Ivan IV the Terrible, the court physician of the English Queen Elizabeth arrived in Moscow to the royal court RobertJacob(Jacobus, Robertus). In his retinue were doctors and pharmacists / one of them, named Yakov (English) Jacob), mentioned in the royal correspondence, who served in the Sovereign Pharmacy. Initially, only foreigners (English, Dutch, Germans) worked in the court pharmacy, since in the 16th century. in Rus' there were no professional pharmacists from “born Russians” yet. However, the management of the pharmacy at all times was entrusted only to the boyar especially close to the Tsar.
Around 1620, on the territory of the Kremlin, in the building where the Sovereign's pharmacy was located, a APtekarsky Prikaz . Initially, it was conceived as a court institution for managing the sovereign's medical and pharmacy business (providing medical care to the king, his family and associates) and at the beginning of the 18th century it was called the “Near Sovereign Pharmacy Order.” Work in the Sovereign’s pharmacy was carried out daily from early morning until late evenings. On days when members of the royal family were ill, pharmacists had to “spend day and night" on duty. The prescription of medicines and their preparation in the pharmacy were associated with great rigor. To issue medicine, a doctor’s appointment was required and the permission of the boyar in charge of the pharmacy (and later - Pharmacy order.) The medicine intended for the tsar was first tested by the doctors who prescribed it, the pharmacists who prepared it, and finally by the boyar, to whom it was handed over for transmission “about the Great Sovereign.” Taking from the tsar a glass with the remainder of the medicine, the boyar was obliged “to pour what remains in it into the palm of your hand and drink.” The ritual of supplying medicines to the palace was distinguished by extreme care and luxury: the bottles, glasses and bags in which the medicines were dispensed were tied with red lace and wrapped in white wide taffeta. During the king's campaigns and trips, the doctors who accompanied him. medicines were stored in luxurious inlaid boxes. For a long time (almost a century) the Sovereign's pharmacy was the only pharmacy in the Moscow state and satisfied only court needs. The entire population of the country (the people, the army, and even the boyars) used the services of shopping arcades and shops selling herbs, honey, pickles, meat, household goods, etc. (herbs, honey, salt, meat, mosquito shops and shopping arcades). Trade in "potions" was carried out freely. All this created the preconditions for the abuse of potent and toxic substances.
Over time, the most educated Russian people stopped using the services of healers and herbal healers. The Tsar began to receive petitions for the release of medicines from the Sovereign Pharmacy, as a result of which, as an exception, they began to dispense medicines to outsiders.
Thus, for the first time, the doors of the court pharmacy were open to the Moscow population. However, medicines were dispensed to outsiders only as an exception and for an appropriate fee, in rare cases - “without money”.
It is clear that the court pharmacy could not satisfy all the petitioners, the number of which was steadily growing; In addition, the growing Russian army required a regular supply of medicines to the troops. There was a growing need to organize a public pharmacy outside the royal courtyard, which was established on March 20, 1672 by decree of Tsar Alexei Mikhailovich: “In the new guest yard - where the Order of the Great Parish was to clean out the wards, and in those wards the Great Sovereign ordered to build a pharmacy for the sale of all kinds of medicines of all ranks for people."
The “new” pharmacy was located on the New Gostiny Dvor on the street. Ilyinka, near the Ambassadorial Prikaz. By royal decree of February 28, 1673, both pharmacies were assigned the right to monopoly trade in medicines. Administratively, primacy remained with the old pharmacy: all cash from the New Pharmacy and a report on its activities were sent to the old pharmacy.
Ten years later, in 1682, a third pharmacy opened in Moscow. By decree of Tsar Fyodor Alekseevich (1676-1682), it was established at the first civilian hospital at the Nikitsky Gate “for the reason that it is not convenient to go into the city with any prescription.”
Pharmacy supply drugs were carried out in various ways. Initially, medicinal raw materials for the Sovereign Pharmacy were imported from England. At the same time, some materials were purchased in shopping arcades and shops: medicinal herbs and berries - in the green aisle, lard for plaster - in the meat aisle, flammable sulfur and black resin - in the mosquito aisle, wax for plaster - in the candle aisle, etc.
In addition, every year royal decrees were sent to governors in all parts of Russia with instructions to collect various herbs for which these lands were famous for the Sovereign Pharmacy. Yes, St. John's wort (lat. Hypericum perforatum L.) brought from Tobolsk, malt (or licorice) root (lat. Radix liquiritae) - from Voronezh and Astrakhan, black hellebore root (lat. Radix consolidae) - from Kolomna, scaly (anti-hemorrhoids) herb (lat. Poligonum persicaria) - from Kazan, juniper berries (lat. Luniperus L.) - from Kostroma, Rostov and Yaroslavl, svoroborinny color - from the Moscow region, etc.
Specially compiled herbal books containing drawings and descriptions of medicinal plants helped to recognize herbs. Specially appointed purveyors were trained in methods of collecting herbs and delivering them to Moscow. Thus, in the second half of the 17th century. In the Moscow state, a unique system for collecting and procuring medicinal products developed - the state “berry duty”, failure to comply with which was punishable by imprisonment.
In addition to collecting wild berries and herbs, the supplies of Moscow pharmacies were replenished from special “sovereign apothecary gardens.” The first of them was created at the western wall of the Moscow Kremlin under Tsar Alexei Mikhailovich (now the Alexander Garden is located on this site). The size of the vegetable garden quickly increased, and in 1657, by decree of the tsar, it was ordered: “The sovereign’s Apothecary yard and vegetable garden should be moved... from the Kremlin-city beyond the Myasnitsky Gate and set up in the garden settlement in empty places.” Thus, apothecary gardens appeared at the Myasnitsky Gate and the Kamenny Bridge, in the German Settlement and on other Moscow outskirts, for example, on the territory of the current Botanical Garden. Planting in pharmaceutical gardens was carried out in accordance with the orders of the Pharmacy Order; pharmaceutical laboratories were created in the gardens, where plasters, ointments, and syrups were prepared, which were then supplied to the pharmacy in finished form.
A significant part of the medicines for Moscow pharmacies was imported by foreign specialists. So, back in 1602. pharmacist James Frencham (Frencham, James) brought from England a precious supply of medicines, the best for those times. The delivery of medicines by foreign doctors became not only customary, but even mandatory - doctors who did not have “medicinal herbs” were not accepted into the royal service.
As the pharmaceutical supplies imported in this way were depleted, medicinal raw materials were purchased or prescribed from “other lands” - from Arabia, Western European countries (England, Holland, Germany). The Apothecary Order either sent its attorneys there, or sent royal letters to foreign specialists - “dragists” (English) druggist - pharmacist), who supplied the requested medicines to Moscow and to special pharmacy warehouses in border cities: Polotsk, Mogilev, Arkhangelsk, etc. Thus, in 1632, the Englishman William (Ivanov) Smith (Smith, William) "by Sovereign decree was sent to English soil for pharmaceutical medicines."
The establishment of pharmacies outside Moscow is largely associated with the development of the Russian army, which in the 17th century. conducted active military operations in the south, east and west of the country. Until the 17th century There were no doctors in the army; instead, there was a system of awards “for treating wounds, for potions.” Gradually, this form of treatment for wounded and sick soldiers began to be replaced by organized medical care. At first, a few doctors (the first mention of a regimental doctor dates back to 1615) treated the wounded with their own medicines. From the middle of the 17th century. Transports with medicines from Moscow or provincial pharmaceutical warehouses began to be sent to the regiments. Thus, small pharmacies arose on the Don, in Astrakhan, Vilna, Novgorod, Kiev, Penza, Kursk, Pskov, Nizhny and other cities. There are known special royal decrees on the establishment of pharmacies in Kazan (1671), Vologda (1671), etc. The first free (i.e. private) pharmacies were established by Peter I in Moscow in 1701-1714.
With the development of pharmacies, the functions of the Pharmacy order . In the second half of the 17th century. His responsibility included not only the management of pharmacies, pharmaceutical gardens and the collection of medicinal raw materials, but also: inviting doctors (foreign together with the Ambassadorial Order, and subsequently domestic ones) to serve at the court, monitoring their work and its payment, training and distribution of doctors by position, checking "doctor's tales" (medical histories), supplying troops with medicines (from the mid-17th century) and organizing some quarantine measures. forensic medical examination, collecting and storing books, training of Russian doctors (since 1654). The range of affairs of the Pharmacy Order also included the procurement and sale of vodka, wine, beer and honey (which was one of the main sources of its financing).
The expansion of the scope of activity significantly increased the budget of the Pharmacy Order. In the 16th century and the first half of the 17th century. all his expenses were paid from the state treasury. Back in 1630, the money spent on “feed and salaries” for doctors, doctors, pharmacists and interpreters (translators) amounted to 905 rubles. In 1680 this figure reached 4000 rubles.
The staff of the Pharmacy Department also increased. In 1631, only 2 doctors, 5 doctors, 1 pharmacist, 1 ophthalmologist, 2 interpreters (translators) and 1 clerk served in it. Fifty years later, in 1681, more than 80 people served in the Pharmacy Prikaz, among them 6 doctors, 4 pharmacists, 3 alchemists, 10 foreign doctors, 21 Russian doctors, 38 students of medicine and bone-setting. In addition, there were 12 clerks, gardeners, interpreters and farm workers. Foreign doctors (who had a Doctor of Medicine degree) continued to enjoy special benefits and received very high salaries from the state - 200-250 rubles. per year, and pharmacists and doctors (i.e. surgeons) - 70-100 rubles. in year. In 1682, the income of the Pharmacy Order (10,130 rubles) already exceeded its expenditure (9,876 rubles), and a significant part of the funds came from the sale of medicines.
In 1714, Peter I renamed the Near Sovereign Apothecary Order into the Office of the Main Pharmacy and subordinated it to the archiatrist, after which the functions of this institution went far beyond the boundaries of the royal court.
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.
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.
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, chilibukha. 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.
Under Ivan IV, in 1581, an apothecary chamber (the sovereign's court pharmacy) was formed. It was necessary to serve the royal family, as well as the closest boyars. The premises of the sovereign's pharmacy were furnished very luxuriously. The walls and ceilings were painted, the shelves and doors were covered with “good English” cloth, the windows had multi-colored glass. They worked in the pharmacy every day - from early morning until late evening, and when one of the members of the royal family fell ill, pharmacists worked around the clock. The presentation of medicines to the king was very strict. First, the medicine that was intended for the king was tried by the doctors who prescribed it, as well as by the pharmacists who prepared the medicine. Then the boyar tried the medicine, who subsequently gave it to the king. Having accepted a glass with the remainder of the medicine from the king, the boyar was obliged to “pour whatever was left in it into his palm and drink.”
In 1673 - the second state pharmacy in Moscow. The decree says: “On the New Gostiny Dvor - where the order was for the Great Parish to clear the wards, and in those wards the Great Sovereign ordered to build a pharmacy to sell all kinds of medicines of all kinds to people. The management of the pharmacy and the Sovereign Pharmacy Order was entrusted only to the boyars especially close to the Tsar.
Medicine gardens began to be planted around the Kremlin; similar gardens were grown at the Nikitsky Gate, as well as in other places. That is why gardeners were needed in the Pharmacy Order. They were in charge of these medicinal gardens. The first of the sovereign's apothecary gardens was created near the western wall of the Moscow Kremlin (by the way, the Alexander Garden is now located on this site).
The natural expansion of the pharmaceutical business occurred almost a century after the opening of the Sovereign Pharmacy. In March 1672, under Tsar Alexei Mikhailovich, a second, more democratic pharmacy, accessible to everyone, began operating. Soon after its discovery, the German traveler Schleising turned out to be interested. The European was surprised by the rich assortment of medicines presented here, although he had visited many countries and was familiar with the work of the best Western pharmacies. Realizing that “it is inconvenient to go to the city with every prescription,” in 1682 Tsar Fyodor Alekseevich opened a third pharmacy. An additional convenience was its location at the civil hospital at the Nikitsky Gate.
Until 1699, Muscovites bought cheap drugs in greengrocers' shops, saving pennies, until the boyar Saltykov was poisoned by the market medicine. Distressed by the death of his courtier, Peter I ordered the greengrocers to be dispersed and 8 “free” pharmacies to be opened instead of suspicious shops. Private pharmacists were assigned to the Ambassadorial Prikaz and were the only merchants to receive permission to sell medicines. It took more than 10 years to create a functioning pharmacy system. Only in 1714 were the functions of “free” and sovereign institutions coordinated. At the same time, the Pharmacy Order received a new name - the Office of the Main Pharmacy with subordination to His Majesty's life physician.
The first private pharmacy belonged to the Moscow doctor Daniil Gurchin, who located his enterprise in a new building on Myasnitskaya Street behind the Nikitsky Gate. However, in 1707, that is, 7 years after the opening, he begged the emperor to transfer his pharmacy to the number of state ones through a safe conduct for maintenance. The reason for the refusal of “liberty” was “the great loss of all sorts of medicinal things from bad workers.” Soon after receiving the letter, Gurchin sold the pharmacy and disappeared from the sight of chroniclers.
