Foreign pharmaceutical companies in the Latvian market 1923–1939

To study the role of foreign drug manufacturers in the Latvian market by analyzing publications and advertising in local pharmaceutical journals from 1923 to 1939. Archives. Periodicals. Comparative historical research. Until 1923, there were no professional periodical pharmaceutical journals in Latvia. The magazine "Фармацевтический журнал" of the St. Petersburg Pharmaceutical Society and German pharmaceutical publications have had an influence on the local market. From 1923 to 1939 "Latvijas Farmaceitu Žurnāls " was published in total of 197 issues. The magazine published information about foreign pharmaceutical companies: Emanuel Merck, Darmstadt (founded in 1891) - a chemical factory, which provided pharmacies with raw materials for the preparation of medicines (zinc oxide, lactic acid, alkaloids, iodine salts). The company's representative in Latvia was the company Carl Walter, in Riga, Skolas 25. Schering – Kahlbaum A.G., Berlin (founded in 1871). The company's representative in Latvia was Albert Graben, the representative office in Riga, Aspazijas boulevard 9. Bayer – Meister Lucins, Leverkusen A. RM. (founded in 1863).  Bayer's distributor in Latvia was Baltpharma located in Riga, Kungu 7 with representative Theodor Neukirch (born 1878). F. Hoffmann – La Roche & Co. A.G. (founded in 1896), Swiss company from Basel with the chemical plant in Germany. Since 1921, the company's representative office in the Baltic States has been headed by long-time representative in St. Petersburg Josef Aronstam (1864-1929), who was later replaced by his son Viktor Aronstam (1893-1941). The development of the pharmaceutical market in Latvia was facilitated mainly by large pharmaceutical companies from Germany and German-speaking countries. This tendency was observed until the First World War also in the European part of imperial Russia. This influence in Latvia was renewed after 1920. The distribution in Latvia was formed by companies concluding agreements with local wholesalers and establishing their own marketing offices in Latvia.