Prakt. lékáren. 2013; 9(3): 146-149

Study on the relation of pharmacies and drugstores in Czechoslovak Republic (1918-1938)

Martina Lisá, Vilma Vranová2, Marcela Kallusová3

¹ Nemocniční lékárna Všeobecné fakultní nemocnice, Praha

Conflicts of competencies between pharmacists and druggists can be traced back to the very origins of both professions. They culminated

in the early 20th century when the distribution of their powers was unclear and these often overlapped each other. A confused situation in

revising and creating new laws allowed various interest groups, whether it be druggists, the pharmaceutical industry, or sickness funds, to

reinforce their position at the expense of the disunited and conservative pharmacy profession. Being unable to assert themselves in their

own field for legislative reasons, the well-qualified new generation of pharmacists realized their professional ambitions by establishing

and developing drugstores, which made the situation of pharmacies even worse. This development was interrupted by World War II

and followed by the nationalization of industry as well as of pharmacies, which brought all the above-mentioned conflicts to an end.

Keywords: pharmacies, drugstores

Published: July 15, 2013  Show citation