American Institute of the History of Pharmacy

Higby Awarded the George Urdang Medal

Gregory Higby, PhD, has been awarded the George Urdang Medal for his publications describing the evolution of American pharmacy during the Nineteenth Century. Higby served as AIHP’s Executive Director for more than 30 years before retiring at the end of 2018. He now serves as Fischelis Scholar at the Institute.

The George Urdang Medal is awarded for an original and scholarly publication, or series of publications, pertaining primarily to historical or historico-social aspects of pharmacy. Evaluation is based on competence of research and skill of interpretation and presentation. AIHP established the award in 1952 in honor of Professor George Urdang, one of AIHP’s founders and a renowned scholar of the history of pharmac

Alain Touwaide Receives AIHP's Edward Kremers Award

AIHP has awarded the 2019 Edward Kremers Award to Alain Touwaide, PhD. A noted historian of medicine and science, Touwaide is the co-founder and current scientific director of the Institute for the Preservation of Medical Traditions. He teaches at the University of California, Los Angeles.

AIHP’s Edward Kremers Award honors the memory of Edward Kremers (1865-1941), a pioneer of American pharmaceutical education, distinguished American historian of pharmacy, and one of the founders of the Institute. The Award is given for a specific original publication, or a series of related publications, written by a citizen of the United States, pertaining to historical or historico-social aspects of pharmacy, and exhibiting the highest standards of research, interpretation, and presentation. Nominations are reviewed by AIHP’s Awards Committee.

George Griffenhagen Receives AIHP's Robert Fischelis Award

AIHP’s Board of Directors has awarded the 2019 Robert P. Fischelis Award to George B. Griffenhagen for his decades of support of the Institute and his many contributions to the field of the history of pharmacy. Mr. Griffenhagen, 95, has been an AIHP member since 1949. He served in numerous leadership positions at the Institute (including President and Secretary) for more than fifty years between 1956 and 2010.

The Robert P. Fischelis Award is conferred by AIHP’s Board of Directors to persons or organizations that have had an important impact on the field of the history of pharmacy or on the well-being of the Institute. The award is given in honor of the late Robert P. Fischelis, a gifted leader of the pharmacy profession and a generous benefactor of the Institute.

Pharmacy in History featured on the Daily Beast

Research published in the latest issue of Pharmacy in History was recently featured in a post on the Daily Beast, one of the most popular news sites on the internet. Brent Arehart's article, "Erectogenic Drugs in Greek Medicine" was prominently discussed in a post by Professor Candida Moss, the Edward Cadbury Professor of Theology at the University of Birmingham (UK), who writes about history for the Daily Beast.

In introducing her post, Prof. Moss wrote that, "it might seem that between the contraceptive pill and Viagra we live in a new epoch, but a new study of ancient medicine reveals that we are the hardly the first to use drugs to manipulate sexual pleasure." Moss's post then summarizes, describes, and analyzes some of the research in Arehart's article about ancient Greek erectogenic medicines.

History of Pharmacy Panel at ADHS Meeting in Shanghai

The Alcohol and Drugs History Society meets every two years, and its 2019 meeting held in Shanghai, China, recently concluded. The conference was host to new and exciting panels and papers. AIHP’s Historical Director, Dr. Lucas Richert, organized a panel called “Controls and Culture in the History of Pharmacy.”

Longtime AIHP member Dr. Patricia Barton (University of Strathclyde) presented a paper titled: "'Who takes the blame?': Pharmacists, Doctors and the Control of ‘Dangerous Drugs’ in Britain in the Inter-War Period," and AIHP member Richard Del Rio spoke about "Mass Production of Proprietary Medicines in the Nineteenth Century and the Modernization of the American Dual Market in Drugs.” Dr. Richert spoke about "Foraging for the Future of Pharmacy History," and Dr. Anna Greenwood (University of Nottingham) presented on “Boots the Chemists and the Networks of Empire: 1849-1940.

Pharmacy in History vol. 61, no. 1 & 2 Published

AIHP is pleased to announce the publication of Pharmacy in History, volume 61, numbers 1 & 2 (2019), a special issue in honor of recently retired AIHP Executive Director Greg Higby. This edition marks the first issue edited by new AIHP Historical Director and Pharmacy in History Editor in Chief Lucas Richert. Welcome aboard, Luc!

The lead articles include "Government as Apothecary: Civil War Pharmacy and the Common Good," by Michael A. Flannery and "Erectogenic Drugs in Greek Medicine," by Brent Arehart. The issue also features a reprint of one of Greg Higby's most important articles, "Heroin and Medical Reasoning: The Power of Analogy" and a selected bibliography of his publications. In addition, to celebrate his many accomplishments, the editors solicited reminiscences of and tributes to Greg's long career as an historian, editor, and scholar from fourteen of his colleagues and friends.