The birth of the profession of pharmacist in later Germany came in 1241, when Emperor Frederick II issued a medical ordinance which legally prescribed the separation of the professions of doctor and pharmacist. At this time, however, there was probably no pharmacy in Wiesbaden. The beginnings of the supply of medicines to the citizens of Wiesbaden are shrouded in mystery. For a long time, as in most communities, it was probably mainly provided by women who were knowledgeable about healing and herbs.

The Thirty Years' War left severe devastation in Wiesbaden: in 1646, only 51 citizens are said to have lived within the walls of the destroyed city. A short time later, in December 1650, Count Johann granted Otto Wilhelm Dorsch permission to set up a pharmacy, which had been located in the "Zum Einhorn" inn, whose name it bore, since 1654. However, it only existed for just under ten years, so that another pharmacy must be considered the first permanent pharmacy in Wiesbaden: The later "Hofapotheke" was founded in 1672 by Johann Graßer, a Frankfurt citizen. In 1808, it became the property of Johann August Lade, who bought it from Johann Eberlein. In January 1811, Lade, like Eberlein before him, was awarded the title of "Court Pharmacist".

It was not until 1813 that the candidate of pharmacy, Dr. Karl Philipp Otto, was granted a license to establish a second Wiesbaden pharmacy, "Zum goldenen Löwen". It was set up in the former "Zum goldenen Wolf" inn opposite the Adler. Otto was also a researcher and philosopher. Goethe is said to have read his works with interest during a stay at the spa. However, Otto obviously devoted too little time to his business, as he had to flee Wiesbaden in 1814 due to high debts. His pharmacy was put up for auction and went to the Frankfurt paint store. Caspar Adam Müller leased it from the latter and later bought it for 24,500 guilders, reopening it as the "Löwen-Apotheke" on May 1, 1815.

The medical regulations of the Duchy of Nassau from 1818 regulated the conditions of the pharmacists precisely: they were considered civil servants, but had to draw their salary exclusively from the income of their business in accordance with the fee schedule, which was now determined for the first time (and repeatedly re-regulated). There was actually only supposed to be one pharmacy in each medical district of the duchy. As there were already two in Wiesbaden, the "Hofapotheke", which was later renamed the "Schützenapotheke", was unceremoniously made the official pharmacy of the "Wiesbaden-Stadt" medical district, while the "Löwen-Apotheke" was made the official pharmacy of the "Wiesbaden-Land" medical district.

The rapidly growing population and Wiesbaden's ever-increasing spa traffic made it necessary to establish further pharmacies. However, these had no official character, but existed only by concession. These were initially the "Hirschapotheke" from 1837, whose owner Herber rented the Kalbsche Haus am Markt in Marktstraße for his business premises from 1839. From 1841, negotiations were also held on the establishment of a fourth pharmacy, but these were not concluded until 1863, after the applicant Adolph Seyberth had made a donation of 10,000 guilders to the hospital. He was now allowed to set up the "Adlerapotheke" pharmacy in Kirchgasse. The reason why the opening of new pharmacies was so strictly regulated was financial: it was explicitly in the government's interest for pharmacists to make a large fortune, as it was assumed that they would then always have a sufficient supply of materials, i.e. raw materials for the production of medicines, and capable assistants. To ensure that they were not only in a good financial position, but also to encourage their professionalization, from 1844 poisons and potent substances could only be sold by pharmacists, but no longer by material merchants or chemists.

The annexation of Nassau by Prussia in 1866 again brought some innovations for Wiesbaden: the privileges of the pharmacies continued to exist, but their owners were no longer employed by the state.

In March 1867, the uniform Prussian medical weight was introduced in Wiesbaden, and the pharmacists had to bear the considerable costs of the new weights themselves. From 1868 onwards, the "Altländische Visitationsverfahren" ("old-style visitation procedure") also applied in Wiesbaden, which meant that pharmacies had to be closely inspected by a commission every three years. In the Duchy of Nassau, such visitations had not taken place regularly, but only following complaints. With the rapidly growing population of Wiesbaden, further new pharmacies were founded: These were the Taunusapotheke in 1870, the Viktoria-Apotheke in 1878 and the Wilhelms-Apotheke in 1888, for which the well-known military pharmacist Wilhelm Lenz had applied for a license to operate. The Theresienapotheke, opened in 1893 in Emserstrasse and Wellritzstrasse, and the Oranienapotheke, which opened in 1894, testify to the importance of supplying the population with medicines in the new development areas of the city. After 1900, new pharmacies were established almost exclusively on the outskirts of the city or in incorporated towns.

With increasing industrialization, the pharmacists' area of responsibility also changed: they had less to prepare themselves, but quality and identity testing as well as manual sales became increasingly important. It was the industrial production of pharmaceutical products that made them so cheap for many that they could now afford them. The clientele of Wiesbaden pharmacists also became ever larger.

After the First World War, Wiesbaden was initially under French occupation and from 1925 under British occupation. Around 1920, there were ten pharmacies in the city, two of which now explicitly called themselves "Pharmacie internationale" and "Pharmacie anglo-francaise". When the occupying forces withdrew in 1930, attempts were made to revive the cure, which had been at a standstill for years, as quickly as possible. The wealthy Wiesbaden pharmacist Adam Herbert and Hugo Reisinger, who had emigrated to America, donated the Reisinger and Herbert complex opposite the main railway station, which is still one of the city's calling cards today.

In the following years, the number of pharmacies also increased at an unprecedented rate: a glance at the Wiesbaden address book from 1938 reveals that there were now 22 pharmaceutical stores, none of which were called "international". Instead, they advertised urinalysis and homeopathic remedies.

In the period after the Second World War, Wiesbaden's pharmacies not only had to contend with the poor supply situation, which also affected medicines. Some establishments, such as the Adler Pharmacy, were so badly damaged by bombs that the Seyberth family, who owned it, had to move into a new building on the corner of Kirchgasse and Friedrichstraße. Some owners, such as the Mück family, had to vacate their pharmacy on the orders of the occupying forces, as the business premises in Luisenstraße were "off limits". The Wilhelms-Apotheke had to be relocated to Wilhelmstraße. However, the number of pharmacies increased steadily, with 37 in Wiesbaden in 1951 - and the cosmopolitan nature of the spa town also returned: the Löwen-Apotheke was once again called "Pharmacie internationale".

Since 1958, freedom of establishment has prevailed in Germany, meaning that any pharmacist can open a store in any location - regardless of demand. This new regulation also had serious consequences for Wiesbaden: As Wiesbaden's population grew and new residential areas were developed, so did the number of pharmacies in the spa town: in 1969 there were 61, by 1976 there were 75 - and by 1989 there were as many as 85 stores. Between 2005 and 2008 alone, seven new pharmacies were opened in Wiesbaden.

Today (as of 2013), the approximately 125 pharmacies in Wiesbaden are primarily a hub for information and advice. Choosing the right location is crucial, just as it was in the early days in the 17th century. Whereas back then they were mainly located on the main streets, today many pharmacies have chosen a location near a medical practice center so that as many patients as possible can fill their prescriptions there. Since January 1, 2004, pharmacists have been allowed to operate up to three additional so-called "branch pharmacies".