UNIT 1
HISTORICAL BACKGROUND
& DEVELOPMENT OF
PROFESSION OF PHARMACY
Prepared by
Dr Rishu Yadav
LEARNING OBJECTIVES
• Understand the history of pharmacy
profession in India
• Identify pharmacy career opportunities
• Describe pharmacopoeias & dosage forms
• Explain prescriptions & common errors
• Understand posology & pediatric dosing
HISTORY OF PHARMACY IN
INDIA
• Ancient: Ayurveda, Charaka & Sushruta
Samhitas
• Colonial: Introduction of western medicines
by British
• Post-Independence: Pharmacy Act 1948,
PCI establishment
• Growth of pharma industry (Cipla,
Ranbaxy, Dr. Reddy’s)
• Expansion of pharmacy education
(Diploma, Degree, PG)
• Professional bodies: IPA, APTI, PCI
PHARMACY AS A CAREER
• Community & Hospital
Pharmacy
• Industrial Pharmacy:
Production, QA, R&D
• Regulatory affairs & drug
control
• Clinical research &
pharmacovigilance
PHARMACOPOEIAS
• Definition: Official standard books
for drug quality & purity
• Indian Pharmacopoeia (IP) – IPC
Ghaziabad
• British Pharmacopoeia (BP)
• United States Pharmacopoeia (USP)
• Extra Pharmacopoeia – Martindale
DOSAGE FORMS
• Definition: Physical form of drug for
administration
• Solid: Tablets, capsules, powders
• Liquid: Solutions, suspensions,
emulsions
• Semi-solid: Ointments, creams, gels
• Parenteral: Injections
• Gaseous: Inhalers
PRESCRIPTION
• Definition: Written order by a
registered medical practitioner
• Parts: Date, patient details, ℞, drug
details, instructions, signature
• Handling: Check legibility, verify
dosage, avoid interactions
• Common errors: Wrong dose/drug,
illegibility, omissions
POSOLOGY
• Definition: Science of drug dosage
• Factors: Age, sex, weight, BSA,
route, tolerance, interactions
• Young’s Formula: Age/(Age+12) ×
Adult dose
• Clark’s Formula: Weight(lb)/150 ×
Adult dose
• BSA Formula: BSA(m²)/1.73 × Adult
dose
SUMMARY & KEY TAKEAWAYS
• Pharmacy in India evolved from Ayurveda to
modern industry
• Multiple career options in pharmacy field
• Pharmacopoeias guide drug standards globally
• Dosage forms vary by route and patient needs
• Prescription handling is critical to avoid errors
• Posology ensures safe and effective dosing
