Since 1994 the Department of Pharmaceutical Chemistry along with the Chair of Pharmaceutical Chemistry have been functioned at the Faculty of Chemistry of Yerevan State University. Upon obtaining K-BK-000055 license of the Ministry of Health of the RA in 2012 for the implementation of higher education (specialized) programmes in the specialty of pharmacy, they were renamed the Department of Pharmacy and the Chair of Pharmacy, respectively. On the basis of them in 2017 YSU Institute of Pharmacy with the mission of implementing educational, research and investment (innovation) functions was established, the main task of which is the preparation of pharmacists (pharmaceutists) in accordance with international standards, which is one of the most important preconditions for the development of pharmaceutical industry in the Republic of Armenia.
YSU Institute of Pharmacy prepares high quality pharmacists (pharmaceutists) with Bachelor’s and Master’s degrees who continue their further activity in the specialized companies for the organization and control of drugstores (drugstores, expertise center of drugs and medical technologies, customs and legal services), drug production factories, academic and research institutes and other specialized institutions in both the Republic of Armenia and abroad.
Educational component. Today, the YSU Institute of Pharmacy has created real opportunities for scientific and educational activities to be realized in almost all directions of “Pharmacy” in accordance with international standards. YSU Institute of Pharmacy consists of 3 specialized chairs: pharmaceutical chemistry and pharmacognosy, pharmtechnology and pharmacy economics and management (PEM), biomedicine. The chairs of the Institute installed with modern laboratory furniture and equipment consist of high quality academic laboratories, such as drug preparation technology (drugstore and industrial), pharmaceutical chemistry (including pharmacopoeia analysis), pharmacognosy, biotechnology, toxicological chemistry, pharmacology, drug economics and management, drug structure studies and quality control, hygiene, etc. Laboratory and practical activities of specialized disciplines are being conducted in the mentioned laboratories.
YSU Institute of Pharmacy employs the latest methods and technologies, which enable the students to practice thoroughly their theoretical knowledge. The Institute has a distance learning system that enables the students to organize online lectures with foreign partner universities.
1 NAS RA Academician, 6 ScD and PhD are involved in the scientific and educational process of YSU Institute of Pharmacy.
Research component. The research section of the YSU Institute of Pharmacy occupies nearly 300m2, which includes the following research laboratories:
- Basic laboratory for the synthesis of pharmacologically active compounds
- Basic laboratory of fungal biology and biotechnology
- Laboratory of galenic and new galenic preparations
- Laboratory of biomedical research
- Laboratory of drug quality control and assessment
In the above mentioned laboratories scientific research is carried out on the synthesis of non-protein amino acids, peptides and other potentially pharmacologically active compounds, their biomedical screening, production of original galenic and new galenic preparations based on herbal diversity of the Armenian highlands, medical biotechnology, drug structure and quality assessment and other directions. The research is carried out both within the frames of the national basic and thematic funding and international scientific grants (ISTC, CRDF, Langer?).
Investment (innovation) component. Effective methods developed at the YSU Institute of Pharmacy will be further applied in the experimental and production unit of the Scientific and Production Center “Armagnetechnology” of NAS RA, where small-scale productions of medicines of various origins are organized. The sale of the products is planned to be realized in both the Republic of Armenia and abroad.
Cooperation. YSU Institute of Pharmacy collaborates with the leading pharmaceutical and specialty related universities and research centers abroad and the Republic of Armenia, namely Belgorod National Research University of the Russian Federation, Peoples’ Friendship University of Russia, Moscow State University, Universities of Rostock and Wismar of Germany, A.N. Nesmeyanov Institute of Organoelement Compounds of RAS, etc. The above mentioned universities are involved in the process of realization of graduation, Master’s and Ph.D. theses. Besides, joint research is implemented within the frames of international grants.
Bachelor’s and Master’s degrees programmes of the YSU Institute of Pharmacy are organized by joint educational programmes of the pharmaceutical faculties of Belgorod National Research University of the Russian Federation and Peoples’ Friendship University of Russia resulting in granting the graduates dual diplomas of pharmacists (pharmaceutists).
In accordance with the Bachelor’s degree programme, the lectures in English for foreign students are also organized at the YSU Institute of Pharmacy.
There is also an efficient cooperation between the YSU Institute of Pharmacy and pharmaceutical companies of the Republic of Armenia, namely Scientific and Production Center “Armbiotechnology” of NAS RA, L.A. Orbeli Institute of Physiology of NAS RA, “Arpimed” LLC and “Liqvor” Pharmaceuticals, “Scientific Center of Drug and Medical Technology Expertise” CJSC, “ASTGHIK” Medical Center, “Alfa-Pharm” CJSC and “Natali-Pharm” LLC, etc. The above mentioned institutions are involved in the process of laboratory and industrial trainings of specialized disciplines, as well as in the realization of graduation, Master’s and Ph.D. theses.
Within the framework of cooperation with “Alfa-Pharm”, a drugstore has been opened in the Institute of Pharmacy, where industrial trainings and laboratory activities of “technology for drug preparation” discipline for the students are regularly organized. Here, future pharmacists and pharmaceutists obtain the skills of pharmaceutical business, particularly how the prices for medicines are formed, how to present medicines and cosmetics, how to work with clients, etc.
The graduates of the YSU Institute of Pharmacy can work in state and private institutions of pharmaceutics and specialty related fields as pharmacists, clinical pharmacists, pharmacist-technologists, pharmacist-chemists, pharmacist-representatives, experts, marketing specialists in pharmaceutics, researchers, lecturers, etc. both in the Republic of Armenia and abroad.
Faculties 
