Dishonest or fraudulent practices in dealing with drugs or medicines, such as selling counterfeit or adulterated pharmaceutical products.
From 'drug' + '-ery' (denoting practices, behavior, or collective activities). Emerged in the 17th-18th centuries as pharmaceutical commerce expanded and fraud became a recognized problem.
Before governments regulated medicine, 'druggery' was rampant—people could sell literally anything claiming it cured diseases. The word itself became proof that society recognized this was a serious problem!
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