Two hundred years of pharmacology: A midpoint assessment

The turn of a century, especially one that begins a new millennium, inevitably stimulates thoughts about where we have been and where we are going. Pharmacology began to emerge as a distinct discipline at about the time of the turn of the last century, grew impressively during the 20(th) century, and one may wonder what will be ahead in the 21(st) century. I believe it may be useful to view the span between 1900 and 2100 as a continuum along which we are at the midway point. From our central vantage point, we can be relatively comfortable looking either toward the past or toward the future. I call the reader's attention to the special supplement to the Proceedings of the WPS [1] that contains articles addressing "Pharmacology at the Millennium: Past, Present, and Future." The articles provide thought-provoking ideas and insights that can have significant impact on the discipline of pharmacology. The present essay continues some of the lines of thought addressed in the supplement.