Pharmacy Tech Week: Influential Pharmacists
Pharmacy Tech Week: Influential Pharmacists
October 15-21, recognize your pharmacists and pharmacy technicians for the important role they play in educating patients, promoting safe and effective use of medication, and providing the perfect dose of caring and commitment. Pharmacy Tech Week is the perfect opportunity to give your local pharmacist a gift and show them that you’ve noticed all their hard work.
Alexander Fleming
Born: 1881
Died: 1955
Origin: Scotland
Prior to his discovery of penicillin, Alexander Fleming already had a reputation for excellence in medical and chemical research. He actively researched potential drugs with antiseptic properties after watching many soldiers die of sepsis due to infected wounds during World War I. However, his discovery of penicillin was completely accidental. Many use penicillin for treating a wide number of ailments as one of the most popular drugs prescribed on the NHS.
Jesse Boot
Born: 1850
Died: 1931
Origin: Nottinghamshire
Although Boots Pharmacy initially started as Jesse’s father’s business, Jesse turned the company into the global phenomenon that it is today.
The initial Boot’s philosophy in 1877 was to provide “health for a shilling,” making it affordable for those on a lower income. The Nottingham store (the first Boots Pharmacy) was incredibly popular among local residents. Consumers purchased goods at a cheaper price, in bulk, rather than the brand’s competitors.
John Pemberton
Born: 1831
Died: 1888
Origin: Georgia, US
John Pemberton invented one of the most popular drinks to date, Coca-Cola, in order to counteract his own addiction to morphine. Initially, the drink contained alcohol, kola nut, and damiana and was marketed as a ‘Pemberton’s French Wine Cola’.
However, by 1886 there were increasing concerns about the alcohol content (but oddly, not the cocaine) within popular drinks such as Coca-Cola. Pemberton then decided to experiment with other ingredients such as base syrup and carbonated water.
Hubert Humphrey
Born: 1911
Died: 1978
Origin: South Dakota, US
Of course, with a degree in Pharmacy, the sky is your limit and one man who proved this was American Vice President Hubert Humphrey. Although he never quite made it to presidency, Humphrey not only held a license to practice pharmacy but was also a political force to be reckoned with.
Serving under Lyndon B Johnson, Hubert Humphrey was known for his skepticism over the Vietnam conflict in the late 1960s and his desire for social reform. In 1968 he ran for Presidency and lost – by less than 1% of the popular vote– to Richard Nixon.