Pharmacy Compounding in South Africa in the 1950s

In the latter part of the 1950s the pharmacy course comprised an apprenticeship lasting two years (it is now called an internship and is of one year duration), and three years of full time study at a pharmacy school. There were four of these, one in Cape Town, one in Johannesburg, one in Port Elizabeth and one in Durban. Potchefstroom University and Rhodes University each introduced a pharmacy course during that decade. When an apprentice found a pharmacist willing to take on an apprentice, a contract had to be signed by the apprentice and the Master. The blank contract document was provided by the South African Pharmacy Board. The Board also provided a book with blank pages, this was the "BOOK OF PHARMACEUTICAL PREPARATIONS MADE AND PRESCRIPTIONS DISPENSED BY AN APPRENTICE". The front page of one such book has been reproduced at the top of this page. This particular one was issued to me when I registered as an apprentice in Club Pharmacy, Pretoria. My "master" was Lionel Randal. A few months later he left Club Pharmacy, and Basil Friedman became my "master".

 

The apprentice was expected to record 100 specified prescriptions dispensed in full and strictly in accordance with a printed  index in the book. The apprentice also had to record 400 general prescriptions in tabulated form under the headings: Date, Prescription Book Number, Type of Prescription, Signature of Master.  The Master was expected to set those prescriptions if they were not done in the ordinary course of business.

 

The master was expected to sign and date the book after each prescription was dispensed. Under the apprenticeship contract the 400 general prescriptions were to be compounded and dispensed. The inclusion of prescriptions for ready-made tablets and ethicals was to be avoided.

Pretoria Pharmaceutical Students' Association (PPSA) June 1959

I have retyped this from The Pretoria News dated (?) June 1959.  It is part of my collection of newspaper cuttings kept since I left school.


The majority of Pretoria's prospective young pharmacists took time off from a strenuous week of examinations to relax and enjoy themselves at the annual ball of the Pretoria Pharmaceutical Students' Association on Saturday.

For the occasion, the Iscor Hall was transformed to a Western version of a Japanese nightclub (if there IS such a thing!) and lovely painted Japanese girls gazed through slit eyes at the gaily coloured throng of young dancers below.

Tables surrounded the dance floor, multi-coloured streamers finished off the Japanese theme, and in one corner stood a "Dispensary" at which mock Japanese prescriptions could be exchanged for gifts of perfumes and cosmetics.

The "men behind the scenes"  of this successful dance were the convenor, Mr. S. Meintjies and Mr. G Vienings, a co-convenor. Their two attractive young partners were Miss B. Clark and Miss Diana Innes. In their party were the Registrar of the South African Pharmacy Board and Mrs. F.S. Barrow, Miss Gloria Thackwray and Mr. Cyril Forrester.

Welcome

In the early part of the evening Mr. Meintjies formally opened the dance with a short speech of welcome and Miss Constance Adams presented a striking red bouquet to Mrs Barrow. Her husband replied. A gay party was that which included Mr. and Mrs. E. E. Norman, Mr. and Mrs. J. C. Henning, Mrs. J. Weber and Mr. H. Henning.

A large party of Bright Young Things was that of Mr. A. A. Heffer, assisted by Miss Marlene Mayer. His guests were Mr. B. le Roux, Miss June Allen, Miss Sheila Banks, Mr. L. Liebenberg, Mr. Peter Goosen, Miss Patricia Wright, Mr. D. Guthrie and Miss E. Thompson.

 

From left to right: Mr. F. S. Barrow, Mrs. Barrow, Miss B. Clark, and Mr. Schalk Meintjies