The Faculty of Pharmacy of the University of Sarajevo has a long and significant history that reflects the development of the healthcare sector, education, and science in Bosnia and Herzegovina. Since its founding in 1973, the Faculty has grown from modest beginnings to a renowned institution that educates pharmacists of general profile equipped to work in various sectors of the pharmaceutical profession. Throughout its existence, the Faculty has adapted to the challenges of the times and contributed to the development of pharmaceutical sciences and healthcare.
The first initiative to establish a faculty of pharmacy in Bosnia and Herzegovina dates back to the Austro-Hungarian period, but it was only after World War II that the actual conditions for realizing this idea were created. After World War II, healthcare and other activities in Bosnia and Herzegovina were in a difficult situation with ruined hospitals and a poor assortment of necessary medicines. In the early 1960s, the Pharmaceutical Society of the People’s Republic of Bosnia and Herzegovina (NRBiH) initiated the opening of a Faculty of Pharmacy in Sarajevo, but this idea could not be realized due to a lack of suitable space. It was only after the relocation of the Faculty of Science to a new building in Pofalići in 1967 that conditions were created for intensifying the action to open the faculty.
In the 1970s, the Pharmaceutical Society once again initiated and prepared the „Feasibility Study on the Needs for Pharmaceutical Personnel in Bosnia and Herzegovina“. According to the data from the feasibility study, there was a shortage of about 140 pharmacists in NRBiH at the time, and in the near future, the need for another 80 to 100 pharmacists was predicted. The Council of the Faculty of Medicine in Sarajevo, at a session held on July 1, 1970, appointed a commission that visited relevant ministries and institutions to prepare the necessary materials for the establishment of the Department of Pharmacy. Based on Article 14 of the Higher Education Act(Official Gazette Nos. 15/70, 37/71, 20/72, and22/73) and Article 16 of the Statute of the Faculty of Medicine in Sarajevo and Article 151 of the Statute of the Faculty of Science in Sarajevo, the Council of the Faculty of Medicine in an extended composition at a session held on May 10, 1973,and the Council of the Faculty of Science ata session on April 5, 1973, decided to establish the Department of Pharmacy at the Faculty of Medicine in Sarajevo. Previously, the Council of the Faculty of Medicine, pursuant to Decision No. 1623/73 from April 1973, had formed a Commission for the Preparation of the Curriculum for the Department of Pharmacy, which was to prepare the curriculum, study regime, and other tasks related to the admission of new students to the Department of Pharmacy.
The Assembly of the Socialist Republic of Bosnia and Herzegovina (SRBiH) at a joint session of the Republican and Educational-Cultural Council, held on September 4, 1973, decided to accept the curriculum of the Department of Pharmacy. The Faculty of Pharmacy of the University of Sarajevo officially started operating on November 16, 1973,as the Department of Pharmacy at the Faculty of Medicine of the University of Sarajevo. The Republic Secretariat for Education and Culture of SRBiH, pursuant to decision No. UP-1-04-612/16from January 11, 1974, gave consent for the establishment of the Department of Pharmacy within the Faculty of Medicine in Sarajevo.
Pursuant to the decision of the Council of the University Medical Center in Sarajevo of October22, 1974, the Faculty became an independent working organization and a member of the University of Sarajevo. In its early years, the Faculty operated in the premises of the Faculty of Medicine, the Faculty of Dentistry, and the Faculty of Science, and classes were also held in the premises of other institutions.
The period from 1988 to 1992 was marked by intensive activities related to harmonizing curricula with those of faculties of pharmacy across the Socialist Federal Republic of Yugoslavia. As a result of these harmonizations, a new curriculum was adopted, and for the first time, a generation of students enrolled in the five-year study program in the 1991/1992academic year.
From the very beginning, the Faculty educated pharmacists of a general profile equipped to work in pharmacies, clinical-biochemical laboratories, the pharmaceutical and cosmetic industry, laboratories for testing and controlling medicines, bromatological and toxicological laboratories. Until 1995, upon completion of studies, the title „graduate pharmacist“ was awarded. Pursuant to the decision of the Assembly of the Republic of Bosnia and Herzegovina from 1995, the professional title „Master of Pharmacy“ was introduced.
Until the 1991/1992 academic year, the study of pharmacy lasted eight semesters, and since the 1992 academic year, it has lasted ten semesters. As part of the studies, the preparation of a graduation thesis has become mandatory.
In the 1979/1980 academic year, postgraduate studies in „Pharmaceutical Research“ began, attended by ten generations of students. The last generation of students enrolled in the 2008/2009 academic year. From the founding of the Faculty until September 31, 2023, a total of 3,532 candidates obtained the title of Master of Pharmacy. The academic title of Master of Pharmaceutical Sciences was obtained by 47 candidates, and Doctor of Pharmaceutical Sciences by 48 candidates. The Faculty also organizes education for specialists in various fields of pharmacy, including pharmaceutical informatics, pharmaceutical technology, medicinal plants, clinical biochemistry, testing and controlling medicines, toxicological chemistry, sanitary chemistry, and clinical pharmacy.
After its founding, the Faculty was organized in the form of departments, most of which represented a single course. To ensure conditions for further development, a new organization of the Faculty was established, and ten departments were formed: Department of Drug Analytics, Department of Biochemistry and Laboratory Diagnostics, Department of Bromatology and Nutrition, Department of Pharmacology and Clinical Pharmacy, Department of Pharmaceutical Chemistry, Department of Pharmacognosy, Department of Pharmaceutical Technology, Department of Chemistry in Pharmacy, Department of Social Pharmacy, and Department of Toxicology. These departments ensure a multidisciplinary approach to learning and provide students with quality professional education.
The first dean of the Faculty of Pharmacy was Assoc. Prof. dr. Blanka Bobarević (terms 1973– 1974 and 1974–1977). After her, the function of the dean was held by Assoc. Prof. dr. Branko Nikolin (term 1977–1982), Assoc. Prof. dr. Jela Grujić-Vasić (1982–1988), Assoc. Prof. dr. Sabira Hadžović (term 1988–2000), Assoc. Prof. dr. Adlija Jevrić-Čaušević (term 2000–20054), Prof. dr. Elvira E. Kovač-Bešović (terms 20054–2008 and 2008–2012), Prof. dr. Davorka Završnik (terms 2012–2013 and 2014–2018), and Prof. dr. Fahir Bečić (terms 2018–2022 and 2022–2026).
Upon the start of the aggression on Bosnia and Herzegovina in 1992, the Faculty of Pharmacy faced numerous challenges. Although the Faculty’s work was hindered, teaching continued under difficult conditions. Professors, students, and staff showed exceptional dedication, making a significant contribution to the survival of education and the community’s morale.
The period after 1995 can be considered a period of recovery. The Faculty faced challenges of staff consolidation and the restoration of research. During this period, the Faculty intensified cooperation with domestic and international institutions and implemented numerous projects for equipping and modernization. The Faculty became a member of the Association of European Faculties of Pharmacy, and its professors actively collaborated with various pharmaceutical associations.
After 2004, the Faculty of Pharmacy began intensive activities related to the implementation of the Bologna Process. The goal of the Bologna Process was to harmonize curricula with European higher education standards, including curriculum reform, the introduction of a cyclical study system (integrated first and second cycle studies and doctoral studies), and increased mobility of students and academic staff.
In 2012, the Faculty of Pharmacy moved to a new building within the University Campus in Sarajevo. The new infrastructure provided the Faculty with improved working conditions and significantly increased capacity for teaching and research. One of the most significant projects that contributed to strengthening the Faculty’s infrastructural capacities is the IQPharm/ Innovating Quality Assessment Tools for Pharmacy Studies in Bosnia and Herzegovina project. The Faculty of Pharmacy of the University of Sarajevo was the coordinator of this project, which aimed to improve the quality of teaching and research, as well as the significant procurement of research equipment.
The Faculty of Pharmacy today participates in a large number of research projects that include research in the fields of pharmacognosy, drug analytics, pharmaceutical technology, pharmaceutical biochemistry and laboratory diagnostics, pharmaceutical chemistry, toxicology, pharmacology and clinical pharmacy, chemistry in pharmacy, bromatology and nutrition, social pharmacy, and pharmaceutical legislation. These projects contribute to strengthening the Faculty’s capacity for research and innovation and provide students and researchers with access to modern equipment and methodologies.
Since its founding, the Faculty of Pharmacy has admitted 9,214 students, 6,153 out of whom studied according to the Bologna system and 4,869 under the pre-Bologna study system
The Faculty of Pharmacy of the University of Sarajevo continues the tradition of excellence in education and research, adapting to contemporary challenges and the needs of society. Through its long and rich history, the Faculty has made a significant contribution to the development of the pharmaceutical profession in Bosnia and Herzegovina and remains a key institution for the country’s future. With a commitment to education, research, and innovation, the Faculty of Pharmacy of the University of Sarajevo continues its mission to improve the health and quality of life of the population.