So we know that the Rx symbol used in prescriptions originated in the ancient world, but how and when exactly did the process of writing prescriptions start? The concept of a doctor writing a prescription followed by a pharmacist filling it is a modern concept. In ancient times, the doctor would provide the medicine to the patient, and before doctors, it was the priests who made up concoctions by mixing different ingredients. But slowly the act of compounding medicines became a specialty, and the doctor's job was restricted to prescribing it and sending the patient to a compounder or pharmacist to get it made. Although the exact origin of this practice is murky, the practice of preparation and dispensation of drugs certainly existed for thousands of years, dating all the way back to the oldest of civilizations: the Sumerian and Egyptian civilizations. The world’s first recorded prescription is thought to be a clay tablet in Mesopotamia dated ~2500 BCE which lists 15 prescriptions
Blog on the History of Medicine and Medical Science from the Ancient Times to Modern