The Lusitanian Pharmaceutical Society
Over the years it developed several activities:
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In the scientific and laboratory fields, especially through water, drugs, medicines and food analysis; it developed studies on pharmacy, bromatology, hygiene, toxicology and applied chemistry.
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Active participation in professional politics, influencing the creation of legislation.
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It contributed to the development of reforms in university studies, as well as to the creation of pharmacy schools attached to the medico-chirurgical schools in 1836 and to the Faculty of Medicine of the University of Coimbra in 1902. It also contributed to the elevation of the course to higher education course, with the beginning of the Republic, and in 1921 to the establishment of the Pharmacy Schools.
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Participation in the reform of pharmacy practice verified with the health organization in 1837, through which two pharmacists take part in the Public Health Council.
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In 1926, it accomplished the institution of the Pharmaceutical Practice Inspection, at the Directorate-General Health.
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Production of national pharmacopoeias and pharmaceutical codes.
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Promoted the formation of the Commercial Pharmaceutical Company of Lisbon whose aim was to protect the pharmacist from the greed of the druggists and ensure the purity of the products.
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Creation of the Pharmaceutical Montepio (1838).
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Establishment of a priceless specialized pharmaceutical library.
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Creation of the Lusitanian Pharmaceutical Society Journal.
This Society was established in Lisbon and had 38 founding members. However, it soon began to have members from all over the country and abroad. The scope of its activity and the role that the Lusitanian Pharmaceutical Society had in the pharmaceutical class and the society can be ascertained through the Lusitanian Pharmaceutical Society Journal published a year after its creation.
The Lusitanian Pharmaceutical Society (firstly called Lisbon’s Pharmaceutical Society) was officially created in July 24th 1835 at the apothecary of São José Hospital and was formed by a group of pharmacists involved in the petition that led to the chief-physician withdrawal. Its first leaders were José Vicente Leitão (President), José Dionísio Correia (1st Secretary) and António de Carvalho (2nd Secretary).
Its statutes were approved on January 21th 1836 and its main purpose was to "lead to the progress of pharmacy in all its extension, and from it to take the transcendent benefit that it can provide to public health; being its secondary purpose to help its members that misfortune had put in a situation worthy of philanthropic support, them, their widows and their children."