Dosage Design — Past, Present and Future

Abstract

In 19 34, Domagk’s work for I.G. Farben Industrie and the selection of prontosil from the many azo dyes that had been synthesised received clinical validation. The therapeutic revolution had begun, soon to totally transform the treatment of most diseases. In the same year, 1934, the Pharmaceutical Society published an Imperial Dispensatory for the use of medical practitioners and pharmacists — a British Pharmaceutical Codex. In its pages were monographs on celery, suet and serpentary, and its formulary described, among other things, capsules and tablets; eye drops; lotions and ointments; emulsions; injections; insufflations and nebulae; pastes; creams and ointments; pessaries and suppositories. Thus, although there were few drugs which would now be classed as effective, the manufacturing pharmacists had much the same range of medicines as are available today.