Investigation of Pharmaceutical Developments in Fars Province in Iran during the First Pahlavi Period

Pharmacy has a very long history in Iran. Many pharmacists and physicians, particularly in the Fars province, have worked hard to expand this field by employing historical methodologies and descriptive-analytical approaches. The research relied heavily on historical documents to outline the achievements and challenges in developing the pharmaceutical system in Fars province during the first Pahlavi period. The results of our research showed that actions including the establishment of more hospitals and pharmacies, the expansion of pharmaceutical regulatory offices, the amendments of regulatory rules and regulations on pharmaceutical manufacturers, the augmentation of mobile pharmacies, and the increased influence of educated pharmacists were implemented to the develop the pharmaceutical system and thus the health infrastructures. On the other hand, the lack of financing resources, lack of medicines, the resistance of traditional communities, insufficient supervision on medicine production, drug trafficking, and unauthorized, illegal practices of some pharmacists can be enumerated as some major drawbacks and challenges that hurdled the expansion of the pharmaceutical system in Fars province in the mentioned period. In summary, our study revealed that through the development and expansion of some pharmaceutical activities, it was endeavored to improve public health in Fars Province during the first Pahlavi period in Iran. Future research on the history of pharmacy and pharmaceutical development in other historical periods is recommended to provide a more comprehensive understanding of the field’s evolution in the region.