Development of the Civil Pharmacy Service in Morava Banovina

Abstract

The paper examines the development of the civilian pharmacy service in the territory of the Morava Banovina between 1929 and 1941. The development of this service was reflected in the opening of pharmacies in larger towns, as well as in the adoption of legal regulations governing the distribution of medicines and preventing unauthorized trade. The paper is based on relevant literature and archival material from the fonds of the Ministry of Social Policy and Public Health, held at the Archives of Yugoslavia.

Summary: The development of the pharmacy service in the territory of the Morava Banovina depended primarily on the private initiative of pharmacists and their ability to improve their professional activities through legislation, as well as on membership in the Chamber of Pharmacists, which functioned as a kind of professional association. Among the problems encountered by this initiative were the growing influence of drugstores and the unclear distinction between the powers and responsibilities concerning the dispensing and sale of medicines and medicinal products. The state intervened in order to delineate the respective jurisdictions of these establishments, given the sensitive nature of the products placed on the market. The functioning of the pharmacy service was also hindered by the gap between pharmacy owners and their assistants, who, given their qualifications and professional expertise, were in an unfavorable position. The competent authorities failed to take more concrete measures, given the predominantly private nature of the activity and the employment contracts dictated by employers.