From Monastery Gardens to AI: An Entertaining Journey Through the History of Pharmacy in Switzerland

Anyone entering a pharmacy today expects expert advice, modern medicines and perhaps even a digital prescription on their smartphone. Yet the road to this point was long and, at times, surprisingly adventurous. The history of pharmacy in Switzerland tells stories of monasteries and plague years, of secret formulas, travelling miracle healers and scientific breakthroughs. At the same time, it reflects Swiss society itself: pragmatic, innovative and always close to people.

The First Medicines: Healing Arts from Monasteries and Mountains

Long before pharmacies existed, people in the Alps used medicinal plants to treat pain, fever and wounds. Arnica, gentian, sage and St. John’s wort were part of traditional folk medicine and were passed down through generations.

During the Middle Ages, monasteries in particular became centres of medical knowledge. Monks and nuns cultivated herb gardens and produced ointments, tinctures and teas. Especially significant was the Abbey of St. Gallen, whose famous monastery plan from the 9th century already depicted a detailed medicinal garden — in a way, Switzerland’s first “pharmaceutical infrastructure”.

At that time, medicine was still a mixture of experience, religion and mysticism. Illnesses were often seen as divine trials or imbalances of bodily humours. Nevertheless, surprisingly precise remedies were already being developed, even if some recipes appear questionable today: powdered gemstones, animal ingredients and herbal wine were all part of everyday therapy.

The Birth of the Pharmacy

In the late Middle Ages, pharmacy gradually began to separate from medicine. Physicians diagnosed illnesses, while pharmacists prepared medicines. The first public pharmacies emerged in cities such as Basel, Zurich and Bern.

Basel quickly developed into a centre of healing arts. The city benefited from its location on the Rhine and from trade in spices, herbs and chemical raw materials. Pharmacists soon became respected professionals but also people associated with secret knowledge. Many formulas were carefully guarded and passed down only within families.

A 16th-century pharmacy was far more than a medicine dispensary. The air smelled of herbs, resins and alcohol, mortars echoed through the rooms, and exotic ingredients from around the world were stored in ornate containers. Pharmacists needed not only medical knowledge, but also business skills, precision and sometimes improvisation.

Plague, Powders and Charlatans

Europe’s major plague waves also hit Switzerland hard. Pharmacists attempted to combat the disease with incense, herbal mixtures and essences. Much of it probably had little effect, but people were searching for hope and guidance.

At the same time, travelling healers and miracle doctors flourished. Marketplaces were filled with elixirs claiming to cure nearly everything: toothaches, heartbreak or old age. These remedies often contained alcohol, opium or simply ineffective ingredients.

Serious pharmacists increasingly distanced themselves from such “quacks”. Quality controls emerged, cities introduced regulations, and education became more important. This marked the beginning of pharmacy’s transformation into a scientific discipline.

Paracelsus — Switzerland’s Medical Rebel

No name is more closely linked to early Swiss pharmacy than Paracelsus. The physician and natural philosopher, born in Einsiedeln in the 16th century, revolutionised medicine in his era.

He questioned much of what had previously been considered unquestionable. Instead of relying solely on ancient textbooks, he trusted observation and experience. He became famous for one sentence:

“The dose makes the poison.”

With this idea, Paracelsus laid one of the foundations of modern pharmacology. Many substances can heal or harm. The decisive factor is the right dosage.

Paracelsus experimented with minerals and chemical substances, introducing a completely new way of thinking about medicines: away from magic and toward chemistry.

The Industrial Revolution of Medicine

In the 19th century, pharmacy changed fundamentally. Science advanced rapidly, active ingredients could be isolated and standardised, and industrial production began.

Basel, in particular, developed into a global centre of the pharmaceutical industry. Small dye and chemical companies eventually became world-famous corporations such as Novartis and Roche, shaping modern pharmaceutical research.

Interestingly, much of this development did not begin with medicines, but with dyes for the textile industry. Chemical expertise from that sector ultimately led to new pharmaceutical substances, a perfect example of how innovation often emerges from unexpected directions.

Industrialisation also transformed the role of the pharmacy itself. Medicines were increasingly produced industrially, while pharmacists focused more on counselling, quality assurance and patient care.

From Herb Books to High-Tech Professions

Today, pharmacy is highly modern. Digital medication plans, personalised therapies, vaccinations in pharmacies and artificial intelligence are continuously reshaping the profession.

And yet something has remained remarkably constant: pharmacists are still trusted advisors. They stand between science and everyday life, between high-tech medicine and human closeness.

Perhaps this is precisely the unique strength of Swiss pharmacy: combining innovation with pragmatism, and cutting-edge research with a long tradition of care.

A Story Still Being Written

The history of pharmacy in Switzerland is not a dry chronicle of medicines and laboratories. It is a story about people who wanted to heal. About experimentation, mistakes, discoveries and social change.

From monastery gardens to biotech laboratories, one remarkable continuity remains: the desire to relieve suffering and improve health. Or, put differently: pharmacy has changed enormously over the past thousand years but its most important mission has remained the same.