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THE HISTORY OF LOUIS J. DUFILHO,
JR.
America’s First
Licensed Pharmacist
Dufilho’s most significant contribution to the history and integrity
of the field of pharmacy took place in New Orleans in 1816. In 1804,
the State of Louisiana, led by Governor Claiborne, passed a law that
required a licensing examination for pharmacists wishing to practice
their profession.
Prior to this law and before Louisiana became a U.S. State, there
were some informal territory licensing measures, but none were
enforced. A person could apprentice for six months and then compound
and sell his or her own concoctions without any regulations or
standards. The public received incorrect doses and erroneous
medications. In 1804, Governor Claiborne established a board of
reputable pharmacists and physicians to administer a three-hour oral
examination given at the Cabildo in Jackson Square.
Louis J. Dufilho, Jr. was the first to pass the licensing
examination, therefore making his pharmacy the first United States
apothecary shop to be conducted on the basis of proven adequacy. |
