American Institute of the History of Pharmacy

Call for Nominations for the George Urdang Medal

The American Institute for the History of Pharmacy is now accepting nominations for the George Urdang Medal. The deadline for receipt of nominations is June 1, 2023.

The George Urdang Medal recognizes the lifetime achievements of a person who, over a sustained period, has made important scholarly contributions to the field of the history of pharmacy and pharmaceuticals. The George Urdang Medal is awarded without regard to citizenship or nationality.

The award honors Professor George Urdang (1882-1960), a pioneering historian of pharmacy in Germany and the United States, the founding Director of AIHP, and the founder of the first American graduate program in the history of pharmacy.

A panel of historians will evaluate nominations on the basis of the nature and significance of the nominee’s scholarly contributions to the field of the history of pharmacy and pharmaceuticals, and the span of time over which those contributions were made. Contributions to the field may include (without limitation) scholarly publications, exceptional service to professional organizations, dedicated work for scholarly or popular publications, outstanding contributions to education, and/or significant achievements in the collection and preservation of historical sources or collections.

AIHP Accepting Applications for 2023 AIHP PhD Research Support Grants

The American Institute of the History of Pharmacy is now accepting applications for 2023 AIHP PhD Research Support Grants. The deadline for receipt of applications is March 31, 2023.

The AIHP PhD Research Support Grant Program encourages academic research by doctoral candidates on topics related to the history of pharmacy and pharmaceuticals (broadly defined). The program provides grants up to $2,000, and AIHP hopes to fund two grants in 2023. Funding awards will be announced by May 1, 2023. Recipients can use grant funds to cover research-related costs and expenses that are not reimbursed by the researcher’s university.

The AIHP PhD Research Support Grant Program is open to all PhD students enrolled in a university based in the United States, regardless of department or discipline. The student need not be an American citizen; nor does the research topic need to be in the field of American history. However, the research must be clearly and significantly related to the history of pharmacy or pharmaceuticals, broadly defined.

Results of Member Survey Available for Review

Institute members are invited to review the results of a recently-conducted member survey. A report summarizing the results of the survey is available at this link.

AIHP sent an email to all of its members in December 2022 inviting them to complete a linked survey form. A total of 85 member responded, representing approximately 22% of total membership.

In response to a question inquiring why members choose to support AIHP, 86% of respondents identified collecting and preserving pharmacy-related documents and artifacts as either “very important” or “extremely important.” Other top reasons for supporting AIHP include “want[ing] to learn more about the history of pharmacy and pharmaceuticals” and “want[ing] to be part of a community of people who share an interest in [pharmacy history].”

When asked to indicate whether they agreed or disagreed with certain statements about AIHP operations, 95% of respondents agreed that “[i]t is important that AIHP publish a journal that features scholarly, peer-reviewed articles on topics related to the history of pharmacy and pharmaceuticals.” Over 90% of respondents agreed that “AIHP’s mission should encompass all aspects (i.e., scientific, social, cultural, etc.) of the history of pharmacy and pharmaceuticals,” while a smaller number – 65% -- indicated that “[a] main focus of AIHP’s work should be on the history of the practice of pharmacy.”

AIHP Member Awarded the 2023 Remington Honor Medal

The American Pharmacists Association (APhA) recently announced that Henri R. Manasse Jr. has been awarded the 2023 Remington Honor Medal, the highest honor bestowed by APhA and one of the pharmacy profession’s most prestigious awards. Dr. Manasse has been an AIHP member since 2013, and previously served on the Institute’s Awards Committee.

APhA selected Dr. Manasse in recognition of his work to elevate the role of pharmacists in society, improve pharmacy education, and advance pharmacy practice through collaboration among healthcare leaders, government officials, and other stakeholders.

Dr. Manasse was named the CEO of the American Society of Health-System Pharmacists (ASHP) in 1997, succeeding Joseph Oddis. He served in that position until retirement in 2011.

The Remington Honor Medal, named for eminent community pharmacist, manufacturer, and educator Joseph P. Remington, was established in 1918 to recognize distinguished service on behalf of American pharmacy.

Jeffrey Sturchio Appointed to AIHP’s Board of Directors

AIHP is pleased to announce that Jeffrey L. Sturchio PhD, has joined its Board of Directors as an appointed director. He will serve a three-year term.

Dr. Sturchio is an accomplished historian of the history of medicine and science and an experienced executive in the healthcare, pharmaceutical, and nonprofit sectors. He has been a member of AIHP since 1989.

Dr. Sturchio is a graduate of Princeton University and the University of Pennsylvania, where he received a PhD in the history and sociology of science. He is the former CEO of Rabin Martin, a global health strategy consulting firm, and former president and CEO of the Global Health Council. Earlier, he was vice president of corporate responsibility at Merck & Co. Inc. and president of the Merck Company Foundation.

Dr. Sturchio is currently a visiting scholar at the Institute for Applied Economics, Global Health, and the Study of Business Enterprise at Johns Hopkins University and a Senior Associate at the Global Health Policy Center of the Center for Strategic and International Studies. He also serves as chairman of the board of the Corporate Council on Africa and Friends of the Global Fight Against AIDS, TB, and Malaria. Dr. Sturchio is also a fellow of the American Association for the Advancement of Science and a member of both the Council on Foreign Relations and the Arthur W. Page Society.

New Podcast Links the Humanities and Biomedicine

Members of AIHP will be interested in a new podcast (“The Clinic and the Person”) that aims to show how the humanities (e.g., language arts, visual arts, history) can be applied in health professional education and practice with the goal of improving patient care.

The program’s intended audience includes pharmacists and other healthcare workers who have recognized that the scientific and technical focus of their education has not equipped them well to address the emotional and subjective facets of patient care. It’s one thing, for example, to learn how to titrate the medicine regimen of a patient with Parkinson’s disease; it’s something else entirely to understand the patient’s experience—his or her feelings about the disease and the effects of treatment—and to use that insight in guiding the patient toward an optimal outcome.

A typical installment of the monthly podcast spotlights a particular disease and interprets works from the humanities that offer insights into the experience of patients with that disease.