History

The idea of establishing a higher education institution for teaching pharmacists was first mentioned in the 1880s, when it was suggested that the Department of Pharmacy should open at the Higher School. Unfortunately the idea was not put into practice due to financial difficulties. The 1930 Law on University provided that the Department of Pharmacy was to be founded at the Faculty of Medicine in Belgrade, but the whole project was not implemented until 28 April 1938, when the Ministry of Education announced the opening of the Department of Pharmacy (Decision No 11785).

The Department of Pharmacy was officially launched on 24 October 1939. The opening ceremony was held in the amphitheatre of the Faculty of Medicine Institute of Histology and Physiology, and was attended by a great number of students and teachers of the University of Belgrade, representatives of the City authorities, of Ministries of Education and Health, the Army and Navy, many pharmacists from Belgrade and the vicinity, as well as representatives of the Medical and Pharmaceutical Association. The first generation of 129 students was enrolled in the school year of 1939/40, but due to the outbreak of the Second World War the studies were interrupted and were renewed only after the end of the war.

The study programme comprised 19 fundamental courses, and the acquired title was the one of Magister or Master of Pharmacy, with the possibility to acquire a doctoral degree in pharmaceutical disciplines. After the Second World War ended, at the first meeting of the Faculty Council held on 7 September 1945, it was decided that the Faculty of Pharmacy was to be separated from the Faculty of Medicine as an independent Faculty of Pharmacy. This became the final decision of the National Assembly of Republic of Serbia (No 2221 of 19 October 1945). Although fully self-contained, the Faculty of Pharmacy, however, remained closely associated with the Faculty of Medicine given that they occupied and shared the same premises, since it was only in 1991 that the Faculty of Pharmacy got its own building.

Today the Faculty building is a modern one, built for this specific purpose, and houses the rich and specialised library, computer centre and Museum of Pharmacy History. Educational and scientific work is organised within 18 departments.

Significant dates

24 October 1939

Grand opening of the Department of Pharmacy at the Faculty of Medicine in Belgrade. Pharmacy students attended 17 courses grouped in the following departments: Department of Chemistry, Department of Pharmacology and Toxicology, Department of Biology, and Department of Botany and Zoology.

19 October 1945

The Republic of Serbia National Assembly issued the Decision (No 2221) on founding the independent Faculty of Pharmacy in Belgrade. This day is celebrated as the day of the Faculty.

31 May 1991

Grand opening of the Faculty of Pharmacy in the new building.

1 October 1995

Four-year studies become five-year studies.

1 October 2006

The first generation of students was enrolled in the new study programme, in accordance with the Bologna Declaration.