The word "druggist" appeared in English in 1611, formed from "drug" with the agentive suffix -ist (one who practices or deals in). The word "drug" itself entered English in the 14th century from Old French drogue (a substance used in chemistry or medicine), which probably derived from Middle Dutch droge (dry), via the phrase droge vate (dry barrels) — the containers in which dried herbs and medicinal substances were stored and shipped.
The Dutch connection makes etymological and historical sense. The medieval drug trade was largely a trade in dried goods: herbs, spices, mineral compounds, and plant extracts that had been preserved by drying. The Low Countries were a major hub of European trade, and Dutch merchants supplied dried medicinal ingredients throughout the continent. The word "dry goods" — still used in American English for non-liquid merchandise — may preserve the same linguistic connection between dryness and trade goods.
The druggist occupied a distinct professional niche in the early modern period. Unlike the apothecary (who compounded and dispensed medicines on a physician's prescription), the druggist sold raw medicinal materials — the ingredients from which medicines were made. This distinction was important in the guild system: apothecaries, druggists, and physicians all jealously guarded their professional boundaries. Over time, as the preparation and sale of medicines merged, "druggist" came to encompass both functions.
The semantic trajectory of "drug" itself is revealing. Through the 18th century, "drug" was a neutral term for any medicinal substance, carrying no more stigma than "medicine" does today. The negative connotation — drug as illegal narcotic — developed in the late 19th and early 20th centuries with the emergence of opium, cocaine, and morphine addiction as recognized social problems. As "drug" acquired criminal associations, the profession distanced itself: "druggist" yielded to "pharmacist" (from Greek pharmakon, a drug or medicine), and "drug store" gradually gave way to "pharmacy" in many contexts.
American English retains "drugstore" more persistently than British English, where "chemist" (short for pharmaceutical chemist) is the standard term. The American drugstore — selling not only medicines but also snacks, cosmetics, magazines, and greeting cards — became a distinctive retail format that persists in chains like CVS and Walgreens, though the professional behind the counter is now universally called a pharmacist rather than a druggist.