Harvey A.K. Whitney lecture. Old dreams, young hopes

The maturing of the American Society of Hospital Pharmacists is described as a process of blending selected qualities and values from the Society's youth with new capabilities of the profession. The dreams of early hospital pharmacy leaders included clinical roles for pharmacists, prepaid health-care plans, and pharmacist participation in forming public policy on health care. The history of drug information services illustrates the continuity in development of the profession. Improved drug distribution allowed pharmacists more time for providing drug information, and drug information specialists paved the way for pharmacists in other clinical roles. Now, computers offer new methods of providing drug information. Hospital pharmacy has the maturity required for difficult decisions about cost versus quality of medical care and the obligation to participate in development, analysis, and enforcement of drug-use policy.