Pharmacy Assistants’ Endeavours in Establishing Vocational Associations in Ottoman and Republican Turkey (1912-1949)

Pharmacy journeymen are not analysed until today, within the context of the history of pharmacy. In this article, starting from the Ottoman period, new information is presented regarding the journeymen as a vocational institution, and the attempts of establishing journeyman associations. In the light of the current information, pharmacy journeyman associations are evaluated, beginning with ？stanbul Pharmacy Workers’ Association (？stanbul Eczac？ ？？？ileri Cemiyeti) which is probably the first journeyman association. The analysis covers the journeymen associations formed until 1949. In the Ottoman period, ？stanbul Pharmacy Workers’ Association (？stanbul Eczac？ ？？？ileri Cemiyeti) was established in 1912, as a reflection of a policy starting with Committee of Union and Progress (？ttihad ve Terakki Cemiyeti), which attempts organizing the members of various occupations, or “unifying” them as distinct vocational groups. The Association was short lived due to the difficulties of the wartime period and the fact that pharmacy journeymen are dispersed throughout the city. In 1919, a socialist based organization, entitled International Association of Licenced and Unlicenced Pharmacy Employees (Beynelmilel Diplomal？ ve Diplomas？z Eczac？ Müstahdem？ni Cemiyeti) was founded, but it was disbanded within a short period. After the declaration of the Republic, in 1932, pharmacy journeymen formed an Association of Pharmacy Journeymen (Eczac？ Kalfalar？ Cemiyeti) in ？zmir, and immediately afterwards, Union of Practicing Pharmacists (Pratik Farmakolo？lar Birli？i) was established in ？stanbul. By 1949, Turkish Union of Pharmacy Journeymen (Türkiye Eczac？ Kalfalar？ Birli？i) was founded in ？stanbul, and it attempted to open branches in different cities