Tales from the Dispensing Bench 1951-1996 by Lilian Middleton, MR.PHARM.S. 

If you’ve lived in Barrow a while or have known the village in the past, you may remember the local pharmacy on the High Street. Lilian Middleton owned and ran the pharmacy from January 1971 until 1996. This book is a fascinating account of the journey of an amazing woman who became, against the odds for her gender, a fully qualified pharmacist AND went on to run a very successful pharmacy business for 25 years. 

The book is a detailed account of both the momentous changes in the pharmaceutical world over those years and the day-to-day tasks and responsibilities involved in becoming a qualified pharmacist.

Through Lilian’s recollections we witness the impact of the introduction of many drugs and treatments we now take for granted, but at the time transformed people’s lives. The storage of what were regarded as ‘dangerous drugs’ was strictly regulated and the accuracy required when dispensing medicines in their many forms from scratch, brought daily requirements for the utmost precision. Read her experiences of when thalidomide was introduced or when the Hong Kong ‘flu hit the UK and her many examples of pharmacy in action, for day-to-day emergencies.

When her training was complete and she had opened her own business, she recalls a little of the history of Barrow, its characters, her employees and her role as a very busy village pharmacist. Her journey into this profession and her subsequent successful career were ahead of their time.

The book is relaxed in style, thoroughly captivating and an important historical record of the development of the modern pharmacy. As well as local interest, I’m sure budding medics would benefit from a couple of hours spent reading the Tales from the Dispensing Bench.

Catherine Holmes

Available from Amazon Books @ £4.49 in paperback or £1.99 as a Kindle e-book.