A walk through the history of pharmacy at Kuks Hospital ****************************************************************************************** * A walk through the history of pharmacy at Kuks Hospital ****************************************************************************************** About 30km away from Hradec Králové (135km from Prague) lies a small village that spans bo river Elbe. As you approach by bus the first thing you will notice is the large palatial l sitting proudly atop a hill. This is Kuks Hospital, which is also home to the Czech Museum owned by Charles University. Although the hospital tour does include a pharmacy, be sure n stunning and vast collections provided for viewing in the Czech Museum of Pharmacy, a sepa the hospital museum, although on the same grounds, that has a small additional cost to ent On first walking into the museum a breath-taking collection of articles are laid out to mi pharmacy shop-front including jars, pestle and mortars, numerous pharmaceutical preparatio till!  Throughout the tour, the rationale behind the various types of jars and medicines a I found it really interesting to see how some of the oldest concepts are still often the b medicine whilst others have since been disregarded and may even be laughed at today! As you continue walking through the museum the complete story of pharmacy is told in a chr ending with a more modern day outlook on the profession including information on how recen Czech Republic healthcare system has effected the pharmacy profession.  As well as showing articles there was also a large array of more novel pieces such as a display of homeopathi examples of different pharmacopeia’s from multiple countries. A particular area of interest was the labelling display in which a large proportion of the excited with the possibility of being able to use the stamps provided to create your own l medicinal bottle or jar. This display also reiterated how times have changed and processes simplified to decrease human error along with making processes more cost effective but sim traditions within the pharmaceutical industry have been lost due to this. The museum also displays a number of pieces of equipment that are associated with industri including tablet machines and pill-manufacturing machines.  This was a particularly intere to the museum as very often the focus isn’t on these types of articles.  Therefore this al depth insight into what exactly pharmacy entails including the manufacturing of medicines. The Czech Museum of Pharmacy is still well worth a visit, as is the hospital itself, even your first language (as in my own case).  Detailed written guides are available in a varie so you can rest assured you’re not missing any of the information given out.  You will als the museum certain displays have a 3D element to them, often giving you a chance to try us yourself, allowing you to understand exactly how they work even if you are not quite keepi language! Overall, the Czech Museum of Pharmacy really sums up exactly what the pharmacy industry an and how it has changed over the years.  With something for everyone to look at I would hig to anyone looking for a day trip, even if you’re not studying pharmacy! The large displays to look at including many unexpected articles, such as a human skull.  It’s safe to say I spent much longer looking at everything on display than was allowed for in the tour and ov really enjoyable, memorable and educational day out. Fiona Smith is a second year student from Cardiff Unive Faculty of Pharmacy at the Hradec Králové campus of Cha interests include music, travelling and dance.