harmacist’s first known oath dates from around 1350, from Nuremberg. The pharmacist was to swear "... to charge the same price for the poor as well as the rich and to strive to the best of his ability to carry out all those duties which have been imposed upon him, whether orally or in writing…”.

In 1985, during the Nairobi “Rational Use of Drugs” Conference, the World Health Organization noted that: "The rational use of drugs demands that the appropriate drug be prescribed, that it be available at the right time at a price people can afford, that it be dispensed correctly, and that it be taken in the right dose at right intervals and for the right length of time. The appropriate drug must be effective, and of acceptable quality and safety".

The DIRC’s primary role is “to give clear and definitive information on well-established essential drugs and promote their rational use”. A secondary role would be “to keep up-to-date with pharmacological and therapeutic literature and to disseminate relevant information, as it becomes available”.

The center addresses both healthcare professionals and consumers who seek information on drugs. The provision of accurate and timely drug information to healthcare professionals is an important mechanism to promote safe and effective drug therapy.