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Professor of Pharmacy Practice, Kingston University, Kingston upon Thames, KT1 2EE, UK
Published Online, March 28, 2006. www.theannals.com, DOI 10.1345/aph.1G609
Purpose: The editor views the book as an accessible update of pharmacy history. It is a thorough, general reference to pharmacy and pharmaceuticals in Europe, particularly in the UK. It will be a useful addition to pharmacy schools, especially those with international students. For exchange students to Europe or the UK, it would be an excellent primer to illustrate how pharmacy has developed in different parts of the world.
Content: The text is well organized into 3 main sections: "The Development of Pharmacy," "The Practice of Pharmacy," and "The Products of Pharmacy." Sections are then organized into chapters in chronological order; thus, each section provides a historical record that allows the reader to proceed easily from one specific time period to another. Individual chapters are written by authors who are well versed in their subject. Despite the use of multiple authors, there is little duplication or repetition. The information is useful, accurate, and interesting, as well as educational. There is relatively more detail on recent history, but certainly for the UK, the major events in the development of pharmacy are documented in sufficient detail.
Usability: The book is well referenced with a wide range of sources, including important historical material such as The London Pharmacopoeia, the first official pharmacopoeia in the English-speaking world, albeit written in Latin. Plates (24) range from a papyrus of 1552 BC to 21st century pharmaceutical manufacturing. A number of chapters are illustrated with photographs. Particularly interesting are those that document the development of community and hospital pharmacy by using a series of photographs to illustrate the changes that have occurred since the beginning of the twentieth century. The text is well indexed and readers should have no difficulty in finding a specific section. Although not inexpensive, the book is a good value considering the plates and photographs alone.
Highlights: Making Medicines' strengths are its structure, attention to detail, and accessibility of information. Attractive and relevant illustrations make pharmacy history details all the more accessible.
Limitations: The scope of the book is limited primarily to the development of European pharmacy and, in the later stages (20th century), UK pharmacy. Non-British readers may find the detail tedious, but the description of how UK pharmacy has developed and the major influences on that development is well done.
Comparison with Other Related Books or Products: Publications in this field are scarce and, by nature, fixed in time. This book fills gaps and updates the subject.
Reviewer's Summary: At the beginning of the text, the editor states his intention of providing an update on pharmacy history that is accessible. Taking into account the limited geographical scope, this book does just that. It is a desirable purchase for pharmacy schools and essential for the pharmacy historian with any interest in European and British pharmacy.
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