The word "PHARMACY" has been derived from Greek word 'Pharmacon' which means drug. The concept of Pharmacy is not only confined to compounding and dispensing of drug, but Pharmacy is now one of the important division of Healthcare system along with Medical sciences and Nursing sciences, Pharmaceutical Science has dual role in the present scenario of healthcare systems and scientific technologies.
Pharmacy/Pharmaceutical science and technologies involve large scientific spectrum like-drug discovery, Synthesis, manufacturing, drug modeling & designing, Biotechnology, bio-informatics, bio-pharmaceutical engineering, research & development, drug retailing, wholesale and export of drugs.
Newer fields are emerging in pharmacy and community practices. Hence, profession of pharmacy encompasses both science of healthcare and scientific technology.
Pharmacy profession in Goa is the oldest in the Indian subcontinent. The first ever Pharmacy course was introduced along with the medical course in 1842 at the old Portuguese school known as "Escola Medica de Goa" and later named as "Escola Medica Cirurgica de Goa". The Pharmacists (farmaceuticos) and Doctors ( Medica Cirurgiao) were educated and trained in the same medical school and they had almost the same status in the Goan society.
In the year 1963,after liberation of Goa in 1961, the institute was renamed as " GOA COLLEGE OF PHARMACY" and shifted to the present premises which was formerly a Portuguese school. This pharmacy course was upgraded to a full fledged degree course of Bachelor of Pharmacy under University of Bombay. Later in 1970, the college was recognized for Master's degree in Pharmacy entirely by Research, under University of Bombay.
A Post-graduate course in Pharmacology has been introduced from August 2003.
The college is now affiliated to Goa University and approved by a Pharmacy Council of India(PCI) and All India Council for Technical Education (AICTE), New Delhi and is run by Government of Goa.