Summary:
ithoStudy of Relation Pharmaceutical Store and Chemistis Schops in the First Year’s in the
Independent Czechoslovak Republic (1918–1928)
Union of chemists exploited the disputes between pharmacists and legislators for its own prosperity.
In 1780 the sale of natural drugs was permitted to the chemists for first time and the Trade Rules
of 1856 (later amended) gave them a possibility of production, preparation and sale of poisons and
medicaments, unless they were reserved for pharmacists only (§15, article 14). Among the first
founders of chemist’s shops belonged the pharmacists who could not establish their own pharmace-
utical store due to lack of finance or complaints from their colleagues. The chemist’s didn’t have to
fulfil the obligatory requirements for rooms and equipment, they were not regularly checked and
they had less expenses and also lower prices. Their lower profit from the sale of medicaments was
compensated by selling typical chemist’s articles. The pharmacists brought the level of chemists
nearly to the level of organized pharmacy (pharmaceutics supervisory committee, division into
regions, a two-years special school, producing and purchasing cooperatives). However, around 1925
the pharmacists became aliens from the point of view of chemists. The chemists felt their own
existence threatened and tried to refuse pharmaceutical studies as an approval for chemist trade
and tried to limit the sale of cosmetics and dietetics in the pharmaceutical stores. Wut
bashfulness, they themselves dispatched and prepared medicaments on medical and veterinary
prescriptions even though it was illegal. Later they tried to legalize this state during the discussions
of the reform of pharmaceutical law. Protesting pharmacists did not have efficient support either
from the pharmaceutics supervisory committee, Ministry of Health Care, or Chamber of Commerce.
The state solution to this problem which lacked any concept, and together with inconsistency and
disunity among pharmacists themselves contributed to deepen the problems between pharmacists
and chemists. Unfortunately, pharmacists often focused on minor matters and omitted the essential
problems of their profession.
Key words:
pharmaceutical store – chemistis schops – medicine drugstore
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