When were the first pharmacies created?

The first pharmacies can be traced back to ancient civilizations, with evidence of their existence in Mesopotamia around 2600 BC, where early apothecaries prepared and sold medicinal substances. In ancient Greece, pharmacies became more organized, especially during the Hellenistic period (circa 323-30 BC), with the establishment of the first known drugstores. The concept further evolved in the Islamic Golden Age (8th to 14th centuries), where scholars developed systematic approaches to pharmacy. The modern pharmacy as a profession began to take shape in Europe during the Renaissance and was officially recognized in the 18th century.