A COLLECTION of historical artefacts from Derby Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust's pharmacy department has gone on display in the Royal Derby Hospital. Most of the medical and pharmaceutical objects have been hidden under desks, on top of cupboards, or in boxes for many years and some date back to the 1800s. When staff began sorting through the collection last year, following the move from the former Derbyshire Royal Infirmary to the Royal Derby Hospital, the BBC was showing The Victorian Pharmacy, and the team realised they had many examples of the artefacts being shown on the programme. The exhibition also features display boards providing a brief history of Derby hospitals, pharmacy and medicine, and a replica pharmacy window has been created, showing objects from the past with the modern-day pharmacy robot lit up behind. Karen Taylor, dispensary manager, said: "I have always found the history of our pharmacy to be a fascinating subject and had no idea that we had such an established collection of artefacts here under our roof. It is really important that staff and patients have the opportunity to learn about our history and where the medicines we take today have come from."
Derby Hospitals look back at pharmacies of old
