A fellow named Leon Maria Guerrero y Leogardo is regarded as the Philippines’ first licensed pharmacist. Leon Maria was among the first students of Pharmacy at the University of Santo Tomas. He graduated along with five other men and, a year later, officially became a licensed pharmacist.
Among the graduates, Leon Maria was the only one to dedicate his life to cultivating the field of pharmacy in the country. His penchant for botany, in particular, allowed him to discover herbal cures for several ailments of Filipinos then. He was the first Filipino to become a full member of the American Pharmaceutical Association and Chairman of the Pharmacy Board of Examiners during the American occupation. These contributions cemented his status as the Father of Philippine Pharmacy.
On top of this, his accomplishments in the disciplines of Science and Pharmacy demonstrated their significance in other fields. For instance, through his pharmaceutical accomplishments, Leon Maria worked as the first Filipino forensic chemist for the Real Audiencia of Manila or what would be the equivalent of today’s Supreme Court.
How pharmacists’ roles have changed now
Today, pharmacists’ roles have evolved and branched out to other responsibilities as well. Aside from being licensed to dispense medicine, pharmacists can now also take part in health screening and surveillance programs, public health policy development, patient counseling, and even corporate roles. The pharmacy practice nowadays also extends to medical products outside of medicines, such as vaccines and medical devices.
Just like Leon Maria Guerrero’s feat in pharmacy, countless pharmacists today are working towards innovating the field by expanding their skillsets and tasks. Unilab commends these professionals for their continuous dedication to growth in an effort to better accommodate their stakeholders. Similar to Leon Maria's perseverance to develop the field, let us continue working on our joint aspiration for a healthier Philippines.
Sources:
https://newsinfo.inquirer.net/1075183/did-you-know-leon-ma-guerrero-2
https://www.philstar.com/lifestyle/sunday-life/2020/12/13/2063309/first-filipino-pharmacists-dreamers-first-scientists-second
https://dbpedia.org/page/Le%C3%B3n_Mar%C3%ADa_Guerrero
http://scinet.science.ph/union/Downloads/Biographies%20of%20Early%20Scientists%20in%20the%20Philippines2004_66046.pdf
https://www.ipsf.org/article/role-pharmacists-health-systems
https://filipinoscribbles.wordpress.com/2010/01/21/leon-m%C2%AA-guerrero-lion-scientist/
