Dutch pharmacy during World War II During the Second World War it became increasingly difficult for the Dutch pharmacist to perform his work according to standard. Medicines and components for pharmaceutical preparations became scarce and even distribution over the pharmacies became inevitable. The restrictions enforced by the German occupation, which severely deregulated every day life, was also of great influence on the work in the pharmacy. On the 25th of March 1942 the "Nederlandsche Maatschappij ter bevordering der Pharmacie' ceased to exist and instead the 'Nederlandsche Apothekerskamer" was installed. On the first of January 1943 the Pharmaceutisch Weekblad was replaced by the Tijdschrift voor Artsenijkunde. There was much German pharmaceutical influence on the Dutch pharmacy. The need to improvi.se was the greatest in the last few months before the ending of the war in May 1945. Even in Japanese imprisonment camps in the East-Indies the Dutch pharmacists performed their work.