It was the major 19th-century legislation in the United Kingdom limiting the sale of poisons and dangerous drugs to qualified pharmacists and druggists.

After the society opposed two Poison Bills in 1857 and 1859 that did not meet its criteria, a rival United Society of Chemists and Druggists was established in 1860 by pharmacists disgruntled with the lack of progress, and in 1863 the newly established General Medical Council unsuccessfully attempted to assert control over drug distribution.

The Pharmacy Act 1868 established a system of registration involving major and minor examinations controlled by the Pharmaceutical Society.

There was opposition from many chemists, who claimed the various forms of opium such as laudanum constituted a major part of their trade, so that early drafts omitted it entirely; it was only reintroduced later in the parliamentary process.

In contrast with legislation regulating other industries at the time, the Pharmacy Act neglected to restrict the profession to men only.