Nigeria, May 1 -- In 1850, if you had a fever, you visited an apothecary. They were masters of bespoke creation. They didn't just sell medicine; they formulated it - grinding willow bark, distilling tinctures, and hand-rolling pills based on individual symptoms. They held the "secret sauce" of chemistry in their hands.

Then came the steam-powered pill press. Within a few decades, companies like Bayer and Pfizer could mass-produce standardised aspirin. But the transformation wasn't the overnight extinction story we often imagine. Many apothecaries adapted successfully. Some became the pharmacists who interpreted physicians' prescriptions and counselled patients on drug interactions - a consultative role that persists till date. Others piv...