The Museum of Pharmacy was founded in Sarajevo in July 2022 with the aim of researching, documenting, and showcasing the rich history of pharmacy in Bosnia and Herzegovina.
The rich history of pharmacy in Bosnia and Herzegovina, which traces its roots from medieval Bosnia, through the Ottoman and Austro-Hungarian periods, through the period of Yugoslavia to the modern Bosnian-Herzegovinian state, is presented through a permanent exhibition and a pharmaceutical timeline.
The exhibition at the museum includes over six hundred exhibits, among which the collection of all official pharmacopoeias in Bosnia and Herzegovina from the Austro-Hungarian period to the present day stands out. A 17th-century book titled "Dreckt Apotheke" draws particular attention.
In addition, the museum displays various apothecary utensils used in the preparation of medicines throughout history, as well as numerous documents testifying to the development of the pharmaceutical profession in Bosnia and Herzegovina.
Modern pharmaceutical development in Bosnia and Herzegovina began in 1951 with the establishment of Bosnalijek, a company that had a research center and advanced technologies for drug production. At that time, the first clinical studies in the country were also launched.
Attars were the forerunners of modern pharmacies in BiH, appearing with the arrival of Sephardic Jews from Spain. These merchants established shops in BiH selling medicinal herbs and other natural medicinal raw materials. Later, Muslims also began to practice this craft, and Sarajevo even had its own special attar bazaar.
The development of pharmacotherapy is linked to the practice of treatment using medicinal plants, and this practice is particularly associated with Bosnian Franciscan monks and other religions in this region. Special collections of recipes called ljekaruše tell us about pharmacotherapy.
With the arrival of Austro-Hungary, diplomas obtained outside the Monarchy were not recognized, so pharmacists mostly came from Bohemia. The first of them to open a modern pharmacy by the standards of the time was Eduard Pleyel, and the building of his pharmacy, which was the first modern pharmacy in Sarajevo, is located opposite the Museum of Pharmacy.
