February 28: Pharmacy Fun Fact

Ancient Egyptians wrote some of the oldest pharmaceutical records, including prescriptions. How many centuries ago do some of the oldest records date back to?

Answer: Around 17 centuries ago! Although Egyptian medicine dates back to about 2900 BC, the “Papyrus Ebers,” a collection of 800 prescriptions mentioning 700 drugs, dates back to around 1500 BC. Pharmacy was conducted in ancient Egypt by gatherers and preparers of drugs, and head pharmacists who were called “Chiefs of Fabrication.”

REFERENCE

A History of Pharmacy in Pictures.https://pharmacy.wsu.edu/documents/2018/01/history-of-the-pharmacy-profession.pdf/. Accessed February 28, 2020.

Stay tuned each week for our new series: the Friday Pharmacy Fun Fact! Impress your friends and colleagues with useful facts about the history of pharmacy, inventions created by pharmacists, and more. If you have a fun fact to contribute, email AAntrim@pharmacytimes.com, and it may be included!