Remembering John Parascandola - American Institute of the History of Pharmacy

Pharmacy in History Editorial Board Member John Parascandola

It is with great sadness that the Institute acknowledges the death of John Parascandola (1941-2024). For more than a half century, John contributed his time, expertise, and enthusiasm to the field of the history of pharmacy. Soon after receiving his PhD in the History of Science in 1968, John joined the faculty at the University of Wisconsin School of Pharmacy, teaming with Prof. Glenn Sonnedecker to teach the history of pharmacy. From 1973 to 1981, John led AIHP as Executive Director. After his departure in 1983 for Washington, DC, to head the History of Medicine Division of the National Library of Medicine, John remained active in Institute affairs. Most notably, John served as the chief elected officer of the Institute (Council Chair and President) from 1989 to 2007. After stepping aside in that role, he continued to support the field through service on numerous committees and by acting as an expert reviewer of books and submitted papers.

As a scholar, John published widely on the history of pharmacology and public health. After retiring as Historian of the U.S. Public Health Service in 2004, John wrote extensively, including the books Sex, Sin and Science: A History of Syphilis in America and King of Poisons: A History of Arsenic. His most recent work — A History of the Development of Alternatives to Animals in Research and Testing – was published shortly before his death.

To read more about John Parascandola, visit his obituary here.

AIHP News

AIHP Thanks National Association Sponsors

American Society of Health-System Pharmacists, Patron ($10,000)

American College of Clinical Pharmacy, Donor ($5,000)

Academy of Managed Care Pharmacy, Donor ($5,000)

American Association of Colleges of Pharmacy, Contributor ($2,500)

American Pharmacists Association, Contributor ($2,500)

National Association of Boards of Pharmacy, Contributor ($2,500)

Join AIHP and Subscribe to History of Pharmacy and Pharmaceuticals

Individual Subscription For $90/year ($110/foreign)

Institutional/Corporate subscription For $180/year ($200/foreign)

Pharmacy Education Fund (Schools or College of Pharmacy) For $360/year

Access the Pharmacy in History JSTOR Archive
All past issues of Pharmacy in History have been digitized and are text-searchable at JSTOR.

Note: Academic libraries seeking subscriptions to History of Pharmacy and Pharmaceuticals should directly contact the University of Wisconsin Press.

AIHP Events

AIHP Calendar of Events

Upcoming events hosted by AIHP

December 17, 2025, 11:00 am (Central): Pharmacy History Working Group: Beyond medical pluralism: Interactions between physician-pharmacists and other craftspeople in the Graeco-Roman world with Laurence Totelin, Cardiff University.
January, 21, 2026, 11:00 am (Central): Pharmacy History Working Group: Spring Semester Welcome Back Event: A critical reading of Jacqueline Susann's Valley of the Dolls, hosted by Kelly O'Donnell, Towson Unviersity.
February 18, 2026, 11:00 am (Central): Pharmacy History Working Group: Audrey Ke Zhao, UC Santa Cruz & CHSTM Research Fellow
March 18, 2026, 11:00 am (Central): Pharmacy History Working Group: Ryan A. Kashanipour, University of Arizona

AIHP News

Calendar of Events

Upcoming events of interest to pharmacists and historians of pharmacy, pharmaceuticals, medicines, science, and related fields.

December 7-11, 2025: ASHP Midyear, Las Vegas, NV.
January 14, 2026: JCPP January 2026, Alexandria, VA.
March 27-30, 2026: APhA 2026, Los Angeles, CA.
April 18-21, 2026: NACDS Annual Meeting, Palm Beach, FL.
June 3-7, 2026: AAHM 2026, Buffalo, NY.
June 13-17, 2026: ASHP Pharmacy Futures, Charlotte, NC.
June 25, 2026: JCPP June 2026, Alexandria, VA.
July 18-21, 2026: AACP Pharmacy Education, Grapevine, TX.
September 17, 2026: JCPP September 2026, Alexandria, VA.
October 3-6, 2026: 2026 NCPA Annual Convention, Kansas City.