What is the meaning of the emblem of a snake wrapped around a staff, and is it permissible to use it in Islam?

Some sources mention that the symbol of pharmacies—represented by a snake and a staff—may mean that medicine can be harmful if not used correctly, or that beneficial substances can be extracted from harmful ones. The most common possibility is that it symbolizes "Asclepius," the Greek god of medicine, who is said to have brought the dead back to life with plants. He is symbolized by a man holding a staff around which a snake, representing knowledge, is coiled. This symbol embodies ancient Greek myths. Muslims are advised to avoid this symbol and replace it with another, as it may symbolize polytheism (shirk), and they should differ from them in their customs and approaches, especially since Muslims have a pioneering history in the science of pharmacy.