Describes the historical background of the development of medicines and pharmacy and early attempts of Greeks and Romans towards compiling Materia Medica, and the contributions of Muslims in later period and ultimately the efforts made in England and France towards the development of pharmacy. The impact of the discovery of alkaloids on the pharmaceutical industry is discussed. The scientific and medicinal advances made during the Twentieth Century have been briefly given, and the achievements of various world-famed manufacturing concerns have been enumerated particularly in the manufacture of sympathominetric drugs, vitamins, antimalarial drugs and antibacterial chemotheraphy.