May 29: Pharmacy Fun Fact

Question: What drug was the first antibiotic used by doctors?

Answer: Penicillin

Penicillin was the first antibiotic used by doctors and was discovered by Alexander Fleming in 1928.¹ Fleming discovered penicillin after returning from a 2-week vacation to find that mold had developed on an accidentally contaminated staphylococcus culture plate. The culture of penicillin prevented further growth of staphylococcus.²

REFERENCES

• 15 Interesting Facts about the Pharmaceutical Industry. Outsourced Medical. https://outsourcedmedical.com/blogs/15-interesting-facts-about-the-pharmaceutical-industry/. Accessed May 29, 2020.
• Penicillin: An accidental discovery changed the course of medicine. Healio. https://www.healio.com/endocrinology/news/print/endocrine-today/%7B15afd2a1-2084-4ca6-a4e6-7185f5c4cfb0%7D/penicillin-an-accidental-discovery-changed-the-course-of-medicine. Published August 2008. Accessed May 29, 2020.