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How did Benjamin Franklin help separate pharmacy from medicine in the United States?
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A technician withdrawing deep-frozen cells for in vitro culture at a laboratory of a German pharmaceutical company.
Benjamin Franklin played a pivotal role in the professional separation of pharmacy from medicine in the United States by appointing an apothecary to the Pennsylvania Hospital.1
By establishing this specific position, Franklin helped formalize the distinction between the duties of the physician and those of the professional responsible for preparing and dispensing medications. This move supported the broader trend toward specialization in the healing arts, ensuring that the preparation of remedies became a dedicated practice separate from the diagnostic and treatment roles of physicians.1