The first state-owned pharmacy in Serbia

Abstract

The first state-owned pharmacy in Serbia dates back to 1836. At first its title was Dvorska i voena apoteka (Court and Military Pharmacy), which later changed to Pravitelstvena apoteka (Government Pharmacy). The pharmacy moved from Kragujevac to Belgrade on two occasions along with the government seat, to finally settle in Belgrade on 8 December 1841 Pravitelstvena Apoteka fostered the developement of the pharmaceutical science in the country and acted as a public healthcare institution. It had a state-of-the-art laboratory, equipped for chemical analysis of mineral water and for toxicological and biochemical analysis of water containers. It is the cradle of the applied chemistry in Serbia and it operated as a controlling centre for other pharmacies. In 1853, Pravitelstvena Apoteka opened a branch Filijala Pravitelstvene Apoteke, which was run by the Central Pharmacy in Belgrade and the appointed administrator D{stroke}ord{stroke}e Bogdanović, MPharm. On 10 June 1859, both pharmacies were privatised by the decree of the Prince of Serbia, Duke Miloš Obrenović.