History & Heritage

For centuries, thousands of young people have chosen to study at Montpellier's Faculty of Pharmacy. As early as the Middle Ages, Montpellier's grocers and apothecaries were renowned for their expertise, and from 1572 onwards, they began to welcome "journeymen apothecaries". These apprentices came from all over France, and even Europe, to learn the art of pharmacy, and to take lessons in "chymie" and botany at the Jardin des Plantes.

In 1803, Montpellier was chosen as one of the first three Schools of Pharmacy in France, thanks to the great skill of its master pharmacists and their tradition of passing on knowledge. Training gradually shifted from an apprenticeship system to a more structured university education.

The school expanded and moved from the city center to its present location in 1963. Its name also changed: École, École spéciale, Faculté de Pharmacie, UFR des Sciences Pharmaceutiques et Biologiques.

Major discoveries were made: bromine by Balard, still a student, the fight against phylloxera by Planchon... In the era of the industrialization of medicine, a world-renowned Industrial Pharmacy course was set up.

Today, this long history of pharmaceutical art in Montpellier is retranscribed through pieces exhibited at the Droguier and the Musée de la Pharmacie Albert Ciurana.