National Pharmacy Buyer Day – October 25, 2024

History of National Pharmacy Buyer Day

Pharmacy has been around as long as medicine has. Ancient Mesopotamia recorded the earliest example of pharmaceutical science in 2100 B.C. An ancient Indian Ayurvedic text from 6th century B.C. is perhaps the first (recorded) compilation of medical substances to treat ailments. The ancient Egyptians, Greeks, and Chinese, all had early versions of pharmacies, as records indicate. In the Ancient Middle East, studies of botany and chemistry grew in leaps and bounds. This helped medieval Islamic medicine develop into pharmacology, through discoveries and research by various physicians, alchemists, and others.

Little pharmacy-like shops also began to appear across England by the 12th century, and some of these are still operating today. This was also the period when pharmacy and medicine cleaved into two distinct practices, largely due to an edict by the Emperor of Germany and King of Sicily, Frederick II. The pharmacy practice evolved, and by the Industrial Revolution, had become a mass-produced industry including inventions like pre-packaged medication. The technology created in the 16th century paved the way for the pharmaceutical industry’s biggest era yet — the 20th century.

As for the pharmacy buyers, they are a specialized subset of medical professionals who perform a complex dual-toned role for the medical community; they stock the shelves with current drugs, manage costs for hospital pharmacies and large clinics, and check the expiration dates. Their role requires them to have extensive medical knowledge, as well as accounts management.

Perhaps this is why former pharmacy buyer Beth Meese came up with the idea to celebrate them; she would know how much her fellow pharmacy buyers deserve recognition and respect. Beth worked at Provena United Samaritan Medical Center in Danville, Illinois, as a Pharmacy Purchasing Agent. Today, she works for the same hospital as the Service Excellence Liaison. She got the idea to assign a special day to celebrate all pharmacy buyers in 2005. Two years later, the National Pharmacy Purchasing Association (NPPA) turned her suggestion into a movement. 45 days before that, they sent letters, and a “Proclamation”, to the mayor of Chicago, for legislative support to recognize the day locally. If the mayor agrees, the Proclamation would return to the NPPA with the mayor’s signature and the official government stamp of approval, and the U.S. would get an annual National Pharmacy Buyer Day.