AIHP Adopts New Mission Statement

The American Institute of the History of Pharmacy has a new mission statement: “AIHP advances knowledge and understanding of the history of pharmacy and medicines.”

AIHP’s Board of Directors approved the new mission statement at its annual mid-year meeting in Madison, Wisconsin on June 13-14, 2018.

AIHP President William Zellmer said the new mission statement provides a concise and succinct statement of the Institute’s core purposes. The new statement, he said, is designed to “focus and guide the work of the Institute’s leaders and staff” and to “inform our members and the public about the work we do.” President Zellmer explained that the Institute’s prior mission statement, adopted in 1991, “has served us well,” but was deemed to lack the desired clarity of purpose.

Since its founding in 1941, the Institute’s mission has focused on four core functions:

• Promoting scholarly research into the history of pharmacy and pharmaceuticals,
• Publishing pharmacy history research,
• Collecting and preserving documents and artifacts germane to the history of pharmacy, and
• Serving as a “knowledge center” and clearinghouse for matters related to the history of pharmacy.

President Zellmer emphasized that the new mission statement does not change AIHP commitment to these core functions. “We intend to continue doing what we’ve always done,” he said. “AIHP helps pharmacists understand how their profession has evolved, and that understanding often provides lessons on addressing current issues in pharmacy.”