The department was set up in 1942 as a part of the Section of Pharmacy at the Faculty of Natural Science and Mathematics of the University of Sofia “St. Kliment Ochridski”. At first it was part of the Department of Pharmacognosy and Galenic Pharmacy and later in 1947 it was established as an independent unit. Prof. Dr. Trendafil A. Trendafilov (1907-1976) was one of the founders and the first Head of the department. When he retired in 1972, Prof. Dr. Ivan Issaev (1920-1995) became Head of the Department of General and Industrial Pharmaceutical Technology. Prof. Dr. Evgenii Minkov was Head of the Department in the period 1985-2000. Prof. Nikolai Lambov, Ph.D., was Head of the Department in the period 2000 -2021.
The Department was established in 1942 as Department of Pharmacognosy and Galenic Pharmacy following the setting up of the Section of Pharmacy at the Faculty of Natural Science and Mathematics at the University of Sofia. Throughout 1942 the main subject was botany at first read by Prof. N. Arnaudov then by Academician D. Yordanov. In 1943/44 a course in pharmacognosy was introduced read by A. Boichinov, Ph.D. In 1947 the Department of Pharmacognosy was established as a separate unit. Prof. A. Boichinov (1900 – 1967) was one of the founders and the first head of the department. In 1958 botany came under the responsibilities of the Department of Pharmacognosy and the department acquired its present structure. In 1968 the Laboratory of Control and Standardization of Drugs was affiliated to the department. In the year 1990 the Laboratory of Pharmaceutical Biotechnology was established by Prof. Dr. Ionkova as a part of Department of Pharmacognosy.
The Department of Pharmaceutical Chemistry was founded in 1945 following the setting up of the Section of Pharmacy at the Faculty of Natural Sciences and Mathematics at the University of Sofia “St. Kliment Ohridski”. In 1954 the name of the department was changed to Department of Pharmaceutical and Organic Chemistry, since the teachung of organic chemistry came under its responsibility. In 1982 the department became a separate unit again. Heads of the Department since its establishment: Prof. D. Dalev; Prof. D. Danchev; Prof. L. Dryanovska-Noninska; Prof. Y. Gagauzov, D. Sc.; Assoc. Prof. P. Avramova, Ph.D, Prof. Plamen Peikov, Ph.D
The Department of Chemistry was established as a separate teaching and research unit at the Faculty of Pharmacy in the autumn of 1959. Until then the courses in inorganic chemistry, analytical chemistry and physicochemistry were offered by the corresponding chairs at the Faculty of Natural Science and Mathematics at the University of Sofia “St. Kliment Ohridski”. Since 2010 section of Organic Chemistry was created within the Department of Chemistry. Heads of the department since its establishment were Prof. Dimitar Trendafelov, Prof. Omortag Budevsky, D.Sc., Prof. Dimitria Mihailova, D.Sc.. Prof. Darwin Ivanov, Ph.D.
Up to 1973 instruction in pharmacology was carried out by the Department of Pharmacology at the Faculty of Medicine at the Higher Institute of Medicine. In 1968 Prof. Tz. Stoichev, M.D., started a regular course on drug toxicology at the Department of Pharmaceutical and Organic Chemistry at the Faculty of Pharmacy. Later a practicum was added to the course. In 1973 the Department of Pharmacology and Toxicology at the Faculty of Pharmacy was founded and headed by Prof. Dushka Staneva-Stoicheva, M.D., Ph.D. In the years 1986-91 the department was part of the Department of Pharmacology at the Research Institute of Pharmacology and Pharmacy at the Medical Academy. Since 1991 this department has become a separate unit again, as a department at the Faculty of Pharmacy, with Prof. Dr. Margarita Karaivanova, D.Sc., as its head. Assoc. Prof. Nikolai Danchev, M.D., Ph.D., was elected in 2000 for head of the department.
The Department of Social Pharmacy was founded in 1947 with the introduction of the course “History of Pharmacy and Organization of National Pharmaceutical Network”. The course was delivered by Prof. A. Boeva. From 1957 till 1972 the lectures on organization, planning and economics of national pharmaceutical network (without history of pharmacy) were delivered by Assoc. Prof. V. Novachkov. In 1972 the Department became an independent Faculty Unit. Heads of the Department since its establishment: Assoc. Prof. Mihail Milev, Prof. Drumi Bainov, Prof. Zlatka Dimitrova and Assoc. Prof. Mona Stefanova. The scientists from the department of Social Pharmacy are working as national consultants in the field of national drug policy, pharmacoeconomics, drug safety and pharmaceutical marketing. They are collaborating as members of scientific committee with the National Drug Agency and the Ministry of Health. Close academic and scientific links have been established with similar Departments in Germany, Denmark, The Netherlands, Poland, France, the Czech Republic, Switzerland, Turkey, etc.
Faculty of Pharmacy
Dunabe Street №2
Sofia 1000
