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The present paper describes the pharmacist's role in Germany during the health-service reform and shows his prospects within pharmacological therapy and his role in contemporary modern society. However, emphasis is placed on the out-patient provision of drugs. The development of the recent years clearly indicates the effects of the health-service reform on all concerned in German health services. For this reason the present paper has been extended to include the description of the current social and health guidelines for health services. Moreover, it also describes the individual stages of the health-service reform in Germany between 1989 and 1997. The theoretical part was supported by patient's opinion polls. With examples of 500 interviewees from Bavaria and Baden-Württemberg, patient habits were surveyed regarding drug consumption, compliance, self-treatment, and drug information as well as the patient's expectations of the pharmacist. Depending on the growth of scientific knowledge in health services and on the need for medical care, the pharmacist's role has to undergo continuous changes, worldwide. Due to the analysis and scrutiny of the transformation of German health services--for Germany has a state health insurance in traditional solidarity--the present paper gives a prediction concerning further development, and, above all, the necessary changes in the pharmacist's work in the framework of health services to be carried out. Generally it is possible to say that the obtained knowledge has general validity which other countries can make use of while considering their local conditions.

The two parts of the paper present a brief account of the life, work, time and social impact of the great surgeon Theodor Billroth. The first part deals with Billroth's scientific development and main parts of his life-long work. The second part presents Billroth as a universal genius who was engaged in the cultural and social life of his time and thus opened the road for surgery.