The Museum consists of a representation of a traditional end of the 19th century pharmacy in Puerto Rico. The main collection comprises 210 genuine porcelain apothecary jars, each embellished with a hand-painted reproduction of a medicinal plant with its botanical name in Latin. This collection has an added historical value, since it was originally owned by Federico Legrand, the first pharmacist professor at the University of Puerto Rico. A smaller heterogeneous collection donated by Dr. Luis Torres Díaz, includes jars, mortars, pestles, and other pharmaceutical artifacts from Spain, France and other countries, which were typically found at that time in pharmacies throughout the island.

The Museum was included in the Guide to Pharmacy Museums and Historical Collections in the US and Canada, published by the American Institute for the History of Pharmacy (AIHP) in 1999. A special exposition celebrates the contributions to the preservation of the history of pharmacy in Puerto Rico and the Americas made by Dr. Nydia M. King, Professor Emeritus of the School of Pharmacy, the first woman to preside the AIHP. The fact that the first pharmacy of America was founded in Puerto Rico upon a Royal Order from the Spanish Crown, an important research finding made public by Dr. Sandra Fábregas in 2003, in her book “La Institucionalización de la Farmacia en Puerto Rico”, will be the subject of another special exposition in development.

Tours and consultation are available upon request.

Contacts:

Dr. Luz M. Gutiérrez, Associate Dean
Office for Academic Affairs
Tel. (787) 758-2525 Ext. 5425 Lgutierrez@rcm.upr.edu

Dr. Sandra Fábregas, Associate Professor
Department of Pharmacy Practice
Tel. (787) 758-2525 Ext. 5319 sfabregas@rcm.upr.edu

Prof. Ana Vélez, Profesor
Department of Pharmacy
(787) 758-2525 Ext. 5305 avelez@rcm.upr.edu