Non habebo societatem cum aliquo apothecario

A centuries-old problem that has never been effectively combated by laws or prohibitions. This is the conflict of interests between those who produce and those who prescribe drugs. It has been seen by legislators as a concrete risk from Medieval times onwards.
Indeed, from ancient times up until the 13th century, the figure of the doctor coincided with that of the pharmacist. However, in the 13th century the two professions were separated definitively. This led to numerous laws being made in Italian states and abroad, which had the same purpose: to prevent financial agreements between the two professions
From the Kingdom of Sicily under Federico II to the state of Urbino in the mid-18th century, the regulations flowed thick and fast with their bans and sanctions. Nowadays they deal with doctors and pharmaceutical firms.
The constant feature of this eight century-long struggle is that it is impossible to effectively check the problem: harsher penalties and even threats of corporal punishment have never prevented doctors and apothecaries from getting around the law.

Key words: Conflict of interest; History