The development of pharmacy in Western civilization has been influenced by ideas of individual liberty; the impact of these ideas is traced. For a short time during the French Revolution, individuals without qualifications could practice pharmacy, but abuses prompted return of regulation; from 1803, pharmacy was closely regulated by the state. Liberal thinking in 19th-century Britain left control of pharmacy mainly within the profession; regulation was definitive rather than restrictive. With the influence of Jacksonian Democracy and freedom of trade in the United States, there were no effective pharmacy regulations until the late 19th century and few educational requirements for licensure until the 1920s. In Germany, the old system of concessions and privileges was upset after World War II when any qualified pharmacist was allowed to open a shop wherever desired in the American-occupied zone; the courts upheld this policy as the basis for establishment of pharmacies in West Germany. Liberty in dispensing drugs has been limited out of concern for the well-being of individuals and of society as a whole. In Great Britain and the U.S., restrictions on dispensing antedated laws establishing qualifications for pharmacists. The history of pharmacy demonstrates that there are moral and social barriers to realization of the ideals of liberty. History also suggests that if pharmacists assume responsibilities that use their specialized training, they can defend against inroads by nonpharmacists.
西方文明中药学的发展受到个人自由观念的影响；本文追溯了这些观念的影响。在法国大革命期间的一段短暂时间里，无资质的个人也可以从事药学工作，但滥用行为促使监管回归；从1803年起，药学受到国家的严格监管。19世纪英国的自由主义思想使得药学的管理主要由行业内部负责；监管是确定性的而非限制性的。在美国杰克逊式民主和自由贸易的影响下，直到19世纪末都没有有效的药学法规，直到20世纪20年代才有很少的执照颁发教育要求。在德国，旧的特许权和特权制度在第二次世界大战后被打破，当时在美国占领区，任何合格的药剂师都可以在任何想要的地方开店；法院支持这一政策，并将其作为在西德建立药房的基础。出于对个人和整个社会福祉的考虑，药品调配的自由受到了限制。在英国和美国，对药品调配的限制早于为药剂师设立资质的法律。药学的历史表明，实现自由理想存在道德和社会障碍。历史还表明，如果药剂师承担起利用其专业培训的责任，他们就能抵御非药剂师的侵入。
