Guided by honor, excellence, and service, the University of the Philippines College of Pharmacy provides quality education and leads in teaching, research, and public service in pharmacy and pharmaceutical sciences. Its undergraduate programs build scientific and professional foundations that prepare students for patient care, research, regulation, and public health, while its graduate programs develop advanced expertise and the capacity to shape policy and professional practice. Graduates are trained to act with integrity, social accountability, and compassion, working collaboratively with patients, communities, other health professionals, and the pharmaceutical industry. Through collaboration and service, the College advances rational medicine use, improves access to safe, efficacious, and quality pharmaceutical products, and contributes to universal health care, fulfilling its mission to promote the health and well-being of all Filipinos.

Associate Professor Mac Ardy J. Gloria, RPh, PhD

The UP College of Pharmacy traces its origins as a pharmacy course established under the College of Liberal Arts on June 5, 1911. Initial offerings included a three-year Graduate in Pharmacy (Ph.G.) and, with the addition of one year study leading to the degree of Pharmaceutical Chemist (Ph.C.). The four-year Bachelor of Science in Pharmacy (BS Pharmacy) was introduced in 1913.

The School of Pharmacy was formally established on February 12, 1914, initially as a department under the College of Medicine and Surgery, with Andrew Grover Du Mez as its first Director. On August 14, 1935, the Board of Regents approved the School's elevation to a College. Dr. Mariano V. del Rosario, the Director at the time, became the first Dean of the College of Pharmacy.

In its early years, the College dedicated its primary endeavors to the research of Philippine medicinal plants, the compounding of medicinal agents, and the rigorous standardization of pharmaceutical preparations. The College was also instrumental in the management of beri-beri by taking on the manufacture of Tiki-tiki, the extract of rice polishings, for the Philippine government.

The College has continuously reviewed and updated its curriculum, leading the way in Philippine pharmacy education. In 1951, the five-year Bachelor of Science in Industrial Pharmacy (BSIP) was introduced to align with the needs of the growing pharmaceutical industry. This was followed by the revision of the BS Pharmacy program to a five-year course in 1953.

Graduate studies also expanded over time. The Master of Science with two majors (Pharmacy and Pharmaceutical Chemistry) was first offered in 1930, followed by majors in Industrial Pharmacy (1958) and Hospital Pharmacy (1979). The PhD in Pharmacy degree program was first implemented in 1963 to provide advanced training on medicinal natural products.

In response to the global paradigm shift from drug-centered to patient-centered pharmacy practice, international competency standards, and increasing evidence of drug therapy problems, the five-year competency-based BS Pharmacy program was adopted in August 2005. New competency-based programs for BS Industrial Pharmacy and Master of Science in Pharmacy (with specializations) were also implemented.

Following stakeholder consultations and a market survey, the College revised its five-year outcomes-based programs in 2018 into the patient-oriented BS Pharmacy, and the product and research-focused BS Pharmaceutical Sciences. Simultaneously, the College revised its graduate offerings. In 2023, the Master of Science in Social and Administrative Pharmacy and the Master of Science in Pharmaceutical Sciences were offered.

The geographic evolution of the College is marked by several pivotal transitions: originating in UP Manila, migrating to UP Diliman amidst the post-war era, and ultimately returning to its Manila roots in 1979. The Valenzuela Hall in Taft Avenue, Ermita, Manila has been the home of the College since 1996. Named after Patrocinio Valenzuela, the first alumnus Dean and a prolific researcher and educator, the building houses the three departments: Clinical, Social and Administrative Pharmacy; Pharmaceutical Chemistry; and Industrial Pharmacy, all collaborating to advance pharmacy research and education.

The College of Pharmacy: serving through transformative education and translational research

Excellence in pharmacy, from science to practice

• Fairness
• Integrity
• Respect
• Service
• Transformative Leadership

At the College of Pharmacy, a Committee on Quality Assurance was created to support the grassroots implementation of Quality Assurance (QA) initiatives and to regularly review and update QA mechanisms. This committee works collaboratively with other college-level bodies, including the Performance Management Team, Committee on Curriculum, Committee on Learning, Teaching, and Mentoring, Committee on Research, Committee on Continuing Education and Extension Services, and the Committee on Institutional Linkages and International Relations. Focal persons were given official appointments in the areas of Academic QA, Laboratory and Research QA, and QMS, as part of the institution’s thrust towards continuous quality improvement.

A variety of collective evaluation procedures are in place to generate data that inform process improvements. These include the Office Performance Commitment and Review (OPCR), Performance-Based Bonus Evaluation, Strategic Planning, iAADS, ISO Risks and Opportunities Assessment (ROA), and Client Satisfaction Surveys (CSS). Non-teaching personnel are evaluated through the Individual Performance Commitment and Review (IPCR), while academic staff undergo evaluation via the Student Evaluation of Teachers (SET).

The degree program offerings of the College undergo regular curricular formative and summative evaluations, involving stakeholders such as alumni, employers, and students. These evaluations incorporate QA indicators such as student progression, drop-out and graduation rates, licensure examination results, graduate employability, employer satisfaction, recognition by governmental and non-governmental organizations, and the strength of local and international linkages. System improvements are analyzed through root cause analysis, and are addressed through corrective and preventive actions for further evaluation of intervention effectiveness.

Currently, the College has the following accreditation profile:

1. The Federation of Accrediting Agencies of the Philippines (FAAP) and Philippine Accrediting Association of Schools, Colleges and Universities (PAASCU) Level 4 Certification
   1. CHED Certificate of Program Compliance
   2. PRC Certificate of Program Compliance
2. ISO 9001:2015 Certification (TUV NORD)
3. CHED Center of Excellence 2025 (submitted December 2025, awaiting results)
4. ASEAN University Network Quality Assurance (AUN-QA) (incoming June 2026)

The laboratory is used for academic, research, and extension services. It consists of different areas simulating a manufacturing facility in the actual setting:

1. Quality Control (QC) Area - an area where raw materials, in-process, finished products are tested. The area contains the following equipment:
   1. Fumehood
   2. Moisture Analyzer
   3. Tap Density Analyzer
   4. Sieve Shaker
   5. Hotplate Stirrers
   6. Electric Stoves
2. Solids Area - an area where solid dosage forms such as tablets and capsules are manufactured. The area contains the following equipment:
   1. Sigma Blade Mixer
   2. V-Blender
   3. Oscillating Granulator
   4. Single Punch Tabletting Machine
   5. Miller
3. Liquids/Semisolids Area - an area where semisolid such as ointments and creams and liquid dosage forms such as syrups and suspensions are manufactured. The area contains the following equipment:
   1. Heidolph mixer
   2. Homogenizer
   3. Ointment mill
   4. Semi-automatic filling machine
   5. Mixing tank
   6. Alsop mixer
   7. Refrigerator
   8. Chiller
4. Service Area (Oven Room) - an area where heating procedures are performed. The area contains the following equipment:
   1. Drying Ovens (2)
   2. Stability Ovens (2)
5. Raw Material Storage Area - an area where all the raw materials needed for production are stored.
6. Plant Processing Area - an area where washing, garbling, and drying of plant materials for testing and compounding are performed. The area contains Drying Beds, which can be assembled for drying plant materials.

1996

Instruction, research, and extension services

The facility is set to produce investigational products and related pharmaceutical products and will comply with Pharmaceutical Inspection Cooperation Scheme (PIC/S) Good Manufacturing Practice (GMP) standards, aiming for certification by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) Philippines.
It is equipped with an Air Handling Unit to regulate and circulate air inside different areas. The different areas are as follows:

1. Changing Area - changing room of the project staff to their prescribed PPE to enter the compounding area
2. Airlock Systems (2) - facilitate separation between the external environment and the environment inside the compounding area
3. Storage Room - storage for raw materials needed for compounding and for chemicals needed for quality control testing
4. Weighing Room - for dispensing of raw materials needed for compounding:
   1. Analytical balance
   2. Top loading balance
5. Solid Room - for compounding solid dosage forms such as tablets and capsules
   1. Closed Loop Granulation Line
   2. Tablet Deduster
   3. Tabletting Machine
   4. Industrial Sieve Shaker
   5. V Blender
   6. Capsule Filling Machine
6. Semisolids Room - for compounding semisolids such as ointments and creams:
   1. Homogenizer
   2. Volumetric Filling Machine
7. In-process Quality Control Room - for testing raw materials, in-process, and finished products:
   1. Tap Density Analyzer
   2. Analytical Sieve Shaker with sieves
   3. Moisture Analyzer
   4. Tablet Hardness and Thickness Tester
   5. Friabilator
   6. Analytical Balance
   7. Disintegration Test System
   8. Stereomicroscope
   9. Viscometer
8. Cleaning Room - for cleaning jobs in the compounding area
   1. Distiller

N/A

The laboratory is exclusively used for pre-formulation and formulation research, for manufacture, for pre-clinical and clinical studies, and for graduate research purposes in the College.

The Graduate Research Laboratory is an instructional laboratory used by the Graduate students conducting their special projects or thesis.
The laboratory contains the following equipment:

1. Chemical fumehood
2. Constant temperature water bath
3. Heating block
4. Quantitive PCR machine
5. Automated liquid dispenser
6. pH meter
7. Hot plate stirrer
8. Freeze dryer
9. Drying oven

1996

Research, extension services

This is an instructional laboratory for both Pharmaceutical Organic Chemistry and Biochemistry Laboratory Courses.
The laboratory contains the following equipment:

1. Chemical fumehood
2. Hot plate
3. Vacuum filtration setup
4. 6-row heating mantle
5. UV Transilluminator
6. Melting temperature apparatus
7. Analytical balance

1996

Instruction, extension services

This is an instructional laboratory for Pharmaceutical Toxicology, Integrated Pharmaceutical Sciences Laboratory, Graduate and Undergraduate Thesis Laboratory Courses

The laboratory contains the following equipment:

1. chemical fumehood
2. hot plate
3. refrigerated centrifuge
4. centrifuge
5. movable LED TV
6. drying oven

2018

Instruction, research, extension services

This is an instructional laboratory for Pharmacognosy, Medicinal Natural Products Chemistry, Integrated Pharmaceutical Sciences Laboratory, Graduate and Undergraduate Thesis Courses.
The laboratory contains the following equipment:

1. chemical fumehood
2. hot plate
3. rotary evaporator
4. electric hot plate
5. hot plate with magnetic stirrer
6. analytical balance
7. pH meter
8. vortex mixer
9. ultrasonic bath
10. Thin layer chromatography (TLC) visualizer
11. drying oven
12. 6-row heating mantle
13. muffle furnace

2018

Instruction, research, extension services

The UP DARL is a DOH-accredited special clinical laboratory for toxicology, specializing in the analysis of substances in biological samples such as urine, serum, and hair. Being a service and research laboratory, it is an academic resource tapped by government agencies, clinicians, healthcare professionals, and other institutions or individuals for drug identification and confirmation, analytical methods development and validation, and toxicological research.
The laboratory contains the following equipment:

1. Liquid Chromatography- Quadrupole Time-of-Flight/ mass Spectrometry (LC-QTOF/MS) systems
2. Liquid Chromatography Mass Spectrometry tandem Mass Spectrometry (LC-MS/MS) system
3. Bio- Ultra High Performance Liquid Chromatography-Photodiode Array (BioLC-PDA) system
4. Automated solid phase extraction/ sample preparation workstation
5. Bead mill homogenizer
6. Automated solvent evaporation system
7. Ultrapure water purification system
8. Refrigerated centrifuge
9. Ultralow freezer
10. Analytical balances
11. Sonicator
12. pH meter
13. Vortex mixers
14. Handheld refractometer
15. Pipettors and repeat pipettors
16. Screening analyzer - biochip array technology
17. 3D printer

December 4, 2017

• analytical services for drug identification and confirmation
• training on analytical methods development and validation
• education and training services on LC-QTOF/MS operation for urine and serum drug testing
• training workshops on the management of drug use and abuse

The UP Manila Drugs of Abuse Research Laboratory (UP DARL) is a DOH-accredited special clinical laboratory for toxicology, specializing in the analysis of substances in biological samples such as urine, serum, and hair. Being a service and research laboratory, it is an academic resource tapped by government agencies, clinicians, healthcare professionals, and other institutions or individuals for drug identification and confirmation, analytical methods development and validation, and toxicological research.
The laboratory contains the following equipment:

1. Automated solvent evaporation system
2. Ultralow freezers
3. Refrigerator
4. pH meter
5. Analytical balance
6. Hotplate stirrer
7. Refrigerated centrifuge
8. Positive pressure solid phase extraction manifold
9. Vacuum filtration system
10. Liquid nitrogen dewar tank

December 4, 2017

• analytical services for drug identification and confirmation
• training on analytical methods development and validation
• education and training services on LC-QTOF/MS operation for urine and serum drug testing
• training workshops on the management of drug use and abuse

This laboratory is used for small-scale compounding and testing of physicochemical properties of raw materials and finished products. It contains the following equipment:

1. Chemical fumehood
2. Top loading balances (2)
3. Analytical balance
4. Hotplate stirrers (3)
5. Electric stoves (2)
6. Mesh screens
7. Capsule filling machine
8. Lipstick mold
9. Suppository molds (2)
10. Tablet mold
11. Molds for gel products (5)
12. pH meter
13. Drying Oven

1996

Instruction, research, and extension services

For quality control testing of both small-scale and scaled-up products:

1. Friabilator
2. Tablet Hardness Tester
3. Disintegration Tester
4. Viscometers (2)
5. Top loading balance
6. Analytical balance
7. Sonicator

June 25, 2010

Instruction, research, and extension services

It is used for heating materials to be used for quality control testing:

1. Drying Oven
2. Chemical Fumehood

June 25, 2010

Instruction, research, and extension services

This is an instructional laboratory for Pharmaceutical Analysis, Instrumentation Analysis, Integrated Pharmaceutical Sciences Laboratory, Graduate and Undergraduate Thesis Courses
The laboratory contains the following equipment:

1. chemical fumehood
2. drying oven
3. analytical balance
4. hot plate with magnetic stirrer
5. electric hot plate
6. solid-phase extraction (SPE) manifold

June 25, 2010

Instruction, research, and extension services

The laboratory houses the Dissolution Tester and two (2) spectrophotometers of the College. The lab is used for performance of dissolution profiling and pharmaceutical quantitative analyses.

June 25, 2010

Instruction, research, and extension services

The room houses the High Performance Thin Layer Chromatography (HPTLC) platform, equipped with TLC visualizer, computer, and automatic dispenser.
This room also houses the multi-wavelength microplate reader equipped with Ultraviolet-Visible light and fluorescence detector.
The room is primarily used for experiments in undergraduate and graduate courses that require TLC analysis.

June 25, 2010

Instruction, research, and extension services

The room houses the freeze dryer (lyophilizer) and refrigerators (3rd floor hallway).

June 25, 2010

Instruction, research, and extension services

This room houses the High Performance Liquid Chromatography-Mass Spectrometry (HPLC-MS) machine. The machine is equipped with a desktop computer, battery pack and nitrogen gas generator.
The is an instructional laboratory, primarily used for experiments that require HPLC analysis. The courses conducted in this room are Pharmaceutical Analysis, Instrumentation Analysis, Integrated Pharmaceutical Sciences Laboratory, Graduate and Undergraduate Thesis Courses.

June 25, 2010

Instruction, research, and extension service

This is an instructional laboratory for Pharmaceutical Analysis, Instrumentation Analysis, Graduate and Undergraduate Thesis Courses.
The laboratory contains the following equipment:

1. water distiller
2. chemical fumehood
3. analytical balance
4. electric hot plate
5. drying oven

1996

Instruction and extension service

This room houses the compound microscopes and a stereomicroscope equipped with LED TV.
This is an instructional laboratory, primarily used for experiments that require microscopic analysis. The courses conducted in this room are Pharmacognosy, Integrated Pharmaceutical Sciences Laboratory, Pharmaceutical and Clinical Microbiology, Graduate and Undergraduate Thesis.

2018

Instruction, research, and extension service

This is an instructional laboratory which is biosafety level 2 (BSL-2)-ready. This is primarily used for Pharmaceutical Microbiology, Instrumentation Analysis, Graduate and Undergraduate Thesis Courses.
The laboratory contains the following equipment:

1. drying oven
2. incubator
3. analytical balance
4. refrigerator
5. autoclave oven
6. biosafety cabinet class IIA

2018

Instruction, research, and extension service

This complex provides a model teaching-learning environment for basic and advanced training in the responsible provision of drug therapy for optimum health outcomes.
Its facilities support a wide range of instructional activities, including:

1. Pharmacy Simulation Room – Students simulate and demonstrate day‑to‑day community, institutional, and hospital pharmacy operations such as patient counseling, medication dispensing, monitoring, screening services, and other pharmacy practice functions.
2. Training Center for Pharmacy Immunization and Practice Model Development – The facility also serves as a specialized venue for skills training in pharmacy‑based immunization services and the development, demonstration, and evaluation of innovative pharmacy practice models.
3. Case Room for Small‑Group Discussions and OSCEs – The case room provides an environment for small‑group discussions, case‑based learning, and Objective Structured Clinical Examinations (OSCE), supporting both formative and summative assessment of clinical and professional competencies.

Inaugurated September 5, 2011

For academic, research, and extension services. The laboratory is currently used for academic and training purposes.

A multidisciplinary analytical and research laboratory equipped for chemical analysis, material characterization, sterilization, cryopreservation, and sample preparation. It supports pharmaceutical, chemical, and biological research through advanced instrumentation for spectrophotometry, titration, freeze-drying, temperature-controlled storage, and safe chemical handling.
Currently, the laboratory is exclusively used for graduate research purposes in the College, where the following functions and tests are conducted:

1. Long-term storage of biological and chemical materials:
   1. ultralow freezer
   2. liquid nitrogen systems
   3. bio-refrigerator
   4. chest freezer
2. Spectrophotometric analysis
   1. UV-Vis spectrophotometer
3. Automated titration
4. Sterilization
   1. Autoclave
5. Sample preparation
   1. Sonicator
   2. Vortex mixer
   3. Hotplate stirrer
   4. Vacuum filtration
6. Water purification
   1. ultrapure water system
7. pH measurement
   1. pH meter
8. Drying and moisture removal
   1. Drying oven
   2. Freeze dryer
9. Safe chemical handling
   1. chemical fume hood

Inaugurated January 28, 2013

The laboratory is exclusively used for graduate research purposes in the college.

The laboratory specializes in cell culture designed for in vitro studies using mammalian cell lines, specifically Caco-2 cells. The laboratory is equipped for aseptic handling, controlled cell growth, viability assessment, and functional cellular assays under biosafety-compliant conditions.
Currently, the laboratory is exclusively used for graduate research purposes in the College, where the following functions and tests are conducted:

1. Mammalian cell culture and maintenance
   1. CO₂ incubators
2. Aseptic processing
   1. biological safety cabinets
3. Cell counting and viability analysis
   1. automated cell counter
4. Flow cytometric analysis
   1. Flow cytometer
5. Cell morphology monitoring
   1. inverted microscope
6. Microplate-based assays
7. TEER measurement for epithelial barrier integrity
8. Refrigerated centrifugation
9. Sample preparation and mixing

N/A

The laboratory is exclusively used for graduate research purposes in the College.

The laboratory is an analytical laboratory dedicated to pharmaceutical performance testing and advanced chemical characterization. It supports drug dissolution profiling and high-sensitivity compound identification using chromatographic and mass spectrometric techniques.
Currently, the laboratory is exclusively used for graduate research purposes in the College, where the following functions and tests are conducted:

1. Automated dissolution testing with UV-Vis and HPLC integration
2. Liquid Chromatography–Mass Spectrometry (LC-MS) analysis
3. Quantitative and qualitative chemical compound analysis
4. Active Pharmaceutical Ingredient (API) dissolution profiling and evaluation

N/A

The laboratory is exclusively used for graduate research purposes in the College.

This laboratory provides precision measurement and formulation, and is focused on solubility studies, gravimetric analysis, and automated liquid and powder handling. The facility is optimized for high-accuracy mass determination and reproducible sample preparation in pharmaceutical and chemical research.
Currently, the laboratory is exclusively used for graduate research purposes in the College, where the following functions and tests are conducted:

1. High-precision weighing
   1. Analytical balance
   2. Microbalance
   3. Top-loading balance
2. Automated liquid handling
   1. Andrew + Pipetting Robot
3. Automated powder dispensing
   1. Gironex Cube system
4. Solubility testing and sample preparation
5. Controlled incubation and agitation
   1. shaking incubator
6. Small-volume centrifugation

N/A

The laboratory is exclusively used for graduate research purposes in the College.

The facility contains 18 desktop workstations equipped with software that is used for data processing and analysis:

1. Statistical analysis
2. Molecular docking
3. Simulation demonstration online laboratories

N/A

Instruction, research and extension services