The University of Perugia has now over seven centuries of life and the birth of the Faculty of Pharmacy dates back many years. The first historical testimonies of the Faculty of Pharmacy are fragmentary, but there are clear documents that make it go back to existence at the beginning of the nineteenth century. In the Academic Year 1809/10, a "Provisional Project for the Chair in the Arts" was elaborated to distribute those Chairs that did not belong to the Faculty of Law. On this occasion, the Chair of Pharmacy was created and, with the regulation of studies of the University of Perugia of 1821-1824, it was transformed into a two-year "Degree Course in Pharmacy" which was part of the Faculty of Medicine. The Leonine Regulations of 1833 decreed that this course should be preceded by a "curriculum studiorum" lasting two years of Philosophy and a Baccalaureate in Philosophy. Subsequent decrees, culminating in the Royal Decree n. 2146 of March 4, 1865, defined the nature of the Pharmaceutical Chemistry Course. The teaching was coordinated by a "School of Pharmacy" and the duration of the course was extended from two to three years. In 1877, the School of Pharmacy became a Faculty and conferred the "Diploma in Pharmacy". This diploma course lasted four years, three years of university studies and one year of professional practice. In addition to this diploma, with the Royal Decree n. 2102 of 30 September 1923, the Faculty of Pharmacy of Perugia conferred a degree in "Chemistry and Pharmacy" after four years of university studies and one year of professional practice. In 1936, the Royal Decree n. 2045 established some new rules on the basis of which the Faculty of Pharmacy conferred a Degree in Pharmacy after a four-year course of study. In February 1971, the Decree of the President of the Republic n. 293 founded a second degree course in the Faculty of Pharmacy of the University of Perugia. This degree took the name of Pharmaceutical Chemistry and Technology. The Regulations for the two degree courses - four years for Pharmacy and five years for Pharmaceutical Chemistry and Technology - did not change until A.A. 1991/1992 that is until the new regulations of the new Statute of the Faculty entered into force (Official Gazette of 8 October 1991). With the new regulations, the Degree in Pharmacy lasted five years and a total of 25 exams, while the degree in Chemistry and Pharmaceutical Technology remained a five-year course with a total of 30 exams. Subsequently, further changes were made to the order of the two degree courses up to the current situation in which the Faculty manages two single-cycle Master's Degree Programs (CdLM) in Pharmacy and Pharmaceutical Chemistry and Technology, a Master's Degree Course in Pharmaceutical Biotechnology and two three-year Degree Programs in Quality Control in the Pharmaceutical and Food Industry and in Scientific Information on Drugs. In addition, a Master of Science degree in Food Science and Human Nutrition were activated and two three-year Degree Courses in Interfaculty in Herbal Techniques and Biotechnology (Pharmaceutical address). Currently, two Specialization Schools also belong to the Faculty, one in Hospital Pharmacy and one in Chemistry and Food Technologies.
In 2011 all the Universities, due to the Gelmini law (L. 240/2010, Gazzetta Ufficiale del 14 gennaio 2011), were stimulated to adopt new Statutes in order to improve simplification, efficiency, effectiveness, transparency of administrative work and accessibility to university information. In 2014 all the Departments of the University of Perugia started to be activated and the Faculty of Pharmacy became the actual Department of Pharmaceutical Chemistry (DSF), lead by the Director Prof. Benedetto Natalini.
The Department of Pharmaceutical Sciences programs and manages the single-cycle master's degree courses in Pharmacy and in Pharmaceutical Chemistry and Technology (CTF), and master's degree courses in Pharmaceutical Biotechnology and in Food Science and Human Nutrition (SANU). Furthermore, it coordinates and manages the School of Specialization in Hospital Pharmacy, numerous research doctorates and two second level master's degree, one in Pharmaceutical Technologies and Regulatory Activities and the other in PROcess development for Active Pharmaceutical Ingredients (PRO-API).
Directors of the Department of Pharmaceutical Sciences:
Prof. Maurizio RICCI
(2022/2023 - 2024/2025)
Prof. Violetta CECCHETTI
(2016/2017 – 2018/2019 e 2019/2020 - 2021/2022)
Prof. Benedetto NATALINI
(2014/2015 – 2015/2016)
Deans of the Faculty of Pharmacy:
Prof. Massimo CURINI
(2011/2012 - 2012/2013)
Prof. Carlo ROSSI
(2003/2004 - 2010/2011)
Prof. Maria Cristina FIORETTI CECCHERELLI
(1994/1995 - 2002/2003)
Prof. Marcello TIECCO
(1988/1989 - 1993/1994)
Prof. Giuseppina SCASSELLATI SFORZOLINI
(1980/1981 - 1987/1988)
Prof. Giuseppe PORCELLATI
(1977/1978 - 1979/1980)
Prof. Alessandro SEPPILLI
(1960/1961 - 1976/1977)
Prof. Cesare FINZI
(1955/1956 - 1959/1960)
Prof. Ubaldo SAMMARTINO
(1945/1946 - 1954/1955)
Prof. Francesco CEDRANGOLO
(1943/1944 - 1944/1945)
Prof. Aldo SPIRITO
(1941/1942 - 1942/1943)
Prof. Antonio ANGELETTI
(1939/1940 - 1940/1941)
Prof. Primo DORELLO
(1938/1939)
Prof. Cesare FINZI
(1929/1930 - 1937/1938)
Prof. Bernardo DESSAU
(1921/1922 - 1928/1929)
Prof. Giuseppe BELLUCCI
(1919/1919 - 1920/1921)
Prof. Carlo RUATA
(1886/1887 - 1917/1918)
Prof. Giovanni PENNACCHI
(1882/1883 - 1885/1886)
Prof. Sebastiano PURGOTTI
(1877/1878 - 1881/1882)