Title: National Association of Boards of Pharmacy Records
Inclusive Dates: 1907-1972

Creator:

• National Association of Boards of Pharmacy

Call Number: Mss 716; Micro 1120

Quantity: 2.6 c.f. (2 record center cartons and 2 archives boxes) and 1 reel of microfilm (35mm)

Repository:

Wisconsin Historical Society, Division of Library, Archives, and Museum Collections

Archival Locations:

COLLECTION MAY BE STORED OFF-SITE: see catalog entry to request materials and for additional information.

Wisconsin Historical Society (Map)

Abstract:

Records of an organization of state boards of pharmacy concerned with the education, examination and licensing of pharmacists, as well as with legislation and laws affecting pharmacists. These records primarily document the informational clearinghouse function of the board and consist of correspondence files (mainly 1920-1950) of NABP secretaries H.C. Christensen and Patrick H. Costello. Also included are microfilmed examination questions from NABP sample exams and actual state board examinations, ca. 1915-1950. Published convention proceedings, minutes, newsletters, reports, and surveys are available at the University of Wisconsin-Madison Pharmacy Library.

Language: English

URL to cite for this finding aid: http://digital.library.wisc.edu/1711.dl/wiarchives.uw-whs-mss00716

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The National Association of Boards of Pharmacy (NABP) was founded shortly after the beginning of the 20th century. Although early members have since disagreed upon the exact date of the founding, the NABP was clearly seen as a forum in which early state boards of pharmacy could meet and discuss issues of mutual concern. It has also been argued that the desire for reciprocity of licensing among the states also encouraged the organization of the NABP. As early as 1901, Dr. Henry M. Whelpley, then dean of the St. Louis College of Pharmacy, saw the need for board members to confer, and in 1903 he presented a paper to the American Pharmaceutical Association (APhA) in which he urged such an organization of state board delegates. As a result, this annual conference resolved that an organizational meeting for such delegates be called for its 1904 meeting in Kansas City.

These board delegates were particularly interested in the requirements for practical experience in contemporary pharmacy courses. Although they were unable to come to an accord on that issue, it was decided to form a committee of five to draft a constitution and by-laws. In addition, George Reimann was elected president.

During the early gatherings of the NABP, academic standards and legislation were discussed. The fourth conference in 1907 in New York City produced the first sample examination questions. That same year, the Syllabus Committee put forth a suggested course of study for schools of pharmacy.

In 1908 H.C. Christensen organized an Inter-state Association of Boards of Pharmacy. The objectives of this group were to further reciprocity and to accomplish the “aims and objectives as the NABP.” In 1913 Christensen was elected chairman of the NABP Advisory Examination Committee and in 1914 he was elected secretary of the NABP. At the same time the Inter-state Association was disbanded.

In 1919 a system of nine districts (later adjusted to eight) within the NABP was established, which conducted their own meetings. Early in Christensen's administration Chicago became the NABP's permanent headquarters. In 1942 he resigned as secretary for health reasons and was succeeded by Patrick H. Costello, who held the secretaryship until 1962.

During their administrations the National Association of Boards of Pharmacy was involved in five areas: education; requirements for practical experience; board examinations and grading standards; law enforcement and legislation; and assistant pharmacists. First, the NABP advocated higher standards and the furtherance of education for the profession. In fulfilling their constitutional purpose to “provide for interstate reciprocity in pharmaceutic licensure based upon a uniform minimum standard of pharmaceutic education and uniform education,” the NABP has been very successful. In 1904 there were few legal requirements concerning the education of pharmacists, but by 1920 the NABP had adopted resolutions to establish definite educational standards for reciprocity. The length of college training gradually increased from two years to three. In 1934 a resolution was adopted to establish a standard four-year college course as a minimum, and the association worked in conjunction with the American Association of Colleges of Pharmacy to bring about these changes.

Another area in which the NABP achieved success has been the creation and maintenance of high standards in state board examinations. Each state adopts its own requirements for licensure, but through the efforts of the NABP, most state boards of pharmacy have adopted the NABPLEX examination as the standard for licensure. This work began in 1912 when the NABP established a platform to discuss examinations. Largely through the work of L. L. Walton, the NABP produced several guides. The association still produces these review guides for students and interns preparing for the licensing examination. In 1932 a study was approved to investigate the possibility of a national pharmacy examination, but no action was apparently taken. Examination clinics and workshops under the guidance of Robert L. Swain led to many resolutions concerning practical examinations.

Law enforcement and legislation efforts of the NABP have dealt with broad topics from the regulation in 1914 of the sale of cocaine to the adoption in 1927 of the metric system. The NABP has also worked to unify and strengthen state pharmacy boards.

Other topics of concern to the NABP include publicity, relations with other professions, and the labor pool of pharmacists.

These records, which are primarily the correspondence and speeches of H.C. Christensen and P.H. Costello, secretaries of the National Association of Boards of Pharmacy, reflect the clearinghouse function of the organization with regard to pharmaceutical information. For example, during the years documented in the records the NABP provided individuals, institutions, and boards of pharmacy with information on state drug laws, reciprocity, pharmaceutical education, “diploma mills”, federal legislation, and the like.

However, the collection in no way represents the full history of the National Association of Boards of Pharmacy. For this, the researcher should look to the published records available in the Pharmacy Library, which include convention proceedings, minutes, bulletins, quarterlies, newsletters, examination review guides, statistical surveys, and surveys of pharmacy laws. Nevertheless, these records do express the concerns of board delegates and other pharmacists toward publicity, specific legislative issues, committee decisions, etc. The collection is particularly strong for the years 1920-1950, the secretaryships of H.C. Christensen (1914-42) and Patrick H. Costello (1942-62). The records are arranged into three main divisions: administrative records, correspondence, and examination questions.

The ADMINISTRATIVE RECORDS (1905-1940) contain the constitution and by-laws of the NABP, some historical material, and a few executive committee minutes and annual committee minutes. The CORRESPONDENCE (1916-1972) is arranged alphabetically by subject, and it covers a wide variety of topics. EXAMINATION QUESTIONS (ca. 1915-1950) are examples of state board and NABP tests given to candidates for pharmaceutical licensure. Because of their deteriorating condition, a portion of the examination questions have been microfilmed and are only available in that form.

Acquisition Information

Presented by the American Institute of the History of Pharmacy, Madison, Wisconsin, via Glenn Sonnedecker, June 5, 1985. Accession Number: M85-250

Processing Information

Processed by Anita Taylor and Carolyn J. Mattern, 1987.

Mss 716	Series: Historical Materials, 1905-1940
Box   1 Folder   1	Constitution, by-laws and incorporation papers, 1914, 1941
Box   1 Folder   2	Historical material
Box   1 Folder   3	Board functions, 1905-1936
Box   1 Folder   4	Executive Committee minutes, 1908-1922
	Series: Correspondence, 1916-1972	⇧
Box   2 Folder   1	Alcohol, 1923-1932
	American Council on Pharmaceutical Education,
Box   2 Folder   2	Correspondence, 1944-1948
Box   2 Folder   3	Papers given at conventions, 1932-1954
Box   2 Folder   4	American Medical Association and relations with other medical professions, 1932-1950
Box   2 Folder   5	American Pharmaceutical Association, 1931-1947
Box   2 Folder   6	Census of pharmacists and clerks, 1923-1945
Box   2 Folder   7	Civil service and pharmacists in civil service, 1921-50
Box   2 Folder   8	College enrollment, 1959-1963
Box   2 Folder   9	Colleges of pharmacy programs and curricula, 1939-1951
Box   2 Folder   10	College of pharmacy survey plan, 1923-1932
Box   2 Folder   11	Consolidation of medical related professions and the Ribicoff plan, 1925-1960
Box   2 Folder   12	Costello, Patrick H., correspondence (tribute and legal), 1966-1972
Box   2 Folder   13-14	Diploma mills and quiz schools, 1915-1953
Box   2 Folder   15	Distributive education, 1940-1945
Box   2 Folder   16	Districts, 1922-1963
Box   2 Folder   17	Drug Institute, 1933-1935
Box   2 Folder   18	Drug legislation, 1968-1970
Box   2 Folder   19	Drug Trade Bureau of Public Information, 1920-1926
Box   2 Folder   20	Examination failure study results, 1935
Box   2 Folder   21	Exhibits at conventions, 1936-1944
Box   3 Folder   1	Experience requirements, 1930-1949
Box   3 Folder   2	Foreign and refugee pharmacists, 1962-1963
Box   3 Folder   3	History of pharmacy
Box   3 Folder   4	Honorary certificate, 1938-1954
Box   3 Folder   5	Hospital experience and correspondence, 1946-1951
Box   3 Folder   6	Hospital pharmacies, 1950-1960
Box   3 Folder   7	Kelly, E. F., general correspondence with NABP, 1928-1938
Box   3 Folder   8	Law enforcement officials, Training program, 1957-1958
Box   3 Folder   9	Laws regarding pharmacy, 1922-1942
Box   3 Folder   10	Laws regarding pharmacy ownership, 1956-1963
Box   3 Folder   11	National Association of Drug Clerks, 1916-1938
Box   3 Folder   12	National board exam for pharmacy, 1912-1953
Box   3 Folder   13	National Conference on Pharmaceutical Research, 1923-1935
Box   3 Folder   14-17	National Drug Trade Conference, 1918-1959
Box   3 Folder   18	National Pharmacy Committee on Public Information, 1944-1945
Box   3 Folder   19	Occupational outlook, 1938-1956
Box   3 Folder   20	Poison deaths and their prevention, 1930-1949
Box   3 Folder   21	Professional relations, 1929-1955
Box   3 Folder   22	Professionalism in pharmacy, 1919-1933
Box   3 Folder   23	Proprietary products information, 1916-1943
Box   3 Folder   24	Publicity for pharmacy, ca. 1930-1956
Box   3 Folder   25	Reciprocity, 1924-1959
Box   3 Folder   26	Remington Medal, 1933-1966
Box   3 Folder   27	State associations, 1924-1929
Box   3 Folder   28	State licensing prerequisites, ca. 1924-1940
Box   4 Folder   1	Status of pharmacists in the military and civil service, 1954-1958
Box   4 Folder   2	Uniformity in pharmacy laws and education, 1930-1931
Box   4 Folder   3	U.S. Department of Commerce, 1934-1945
Box   4 Folder   4	U.S. Government, Miscellaneous correspondence, 1935-1944
Box   4 Folder   5	War and war activities committee, 1918-1946
Box   4 Folder   6	Whelpley, Henry Milton, (tribute) 1926
Box   4 Folder   7	Women in pharmacy
	Series: Examination Questions, ca. 1915-1950	⇧
Box   4 Folder   8	Chemistry exams, ca. 1910
Box   4 Folder   9	Materia medica, ca. 1933
	NABP and state board examinations,
Micro 1120 Reel   1	Volume, 1921-ca. 1927
Mss 716	Unbound files
Box   4 Folder   10	ca. 1927-1946
Box   4 Folder   11	1949-1957