ABSTRACT
In Europe, pharmacies are places where the public can get medicines. This however, is the only common denominator. In the past, pharmacy revolved around the manufacture and provision of medicines, rather than on those who consumed them. However, in the latter half of the twentieth century extemporaneous preparations largely disappeared in many European countries, such as Denmark, Greece, Portugal and Sweden. In the Netherlands they currently constitute 5.3% of all dispensed medicines. In the 1960s and 70s the focus of pharmacists’ activities shifted towards an increased emphasis on the effects of medicines, namely clinical pharmacy. This change happened throughout Europe, although the pace of change differed between countries.
