The creation of the Soviet public health care system, based on the principles set out by N.A. Semashko in 1918, was not possible without the participation of the pharmaceutical industry, which joined the new system with rights on par with curative and preventive health care. Pharmacy brought a signifi cant contribution to the development of new legislation and regulations, access to medical and pharmaceutical care, the creation of the conditions necessary to carry out activities for sanitary-hygienic control, research and development work on the creation of disinfection and preventive medicines (vaccines, serums), and also in the preparation of necessary personnel. The development of pharmaceutical education occurred in parallel with the formation of the health care system, dynamically responding to changes in its goals and objectives.