Faculty of Pharmacy, Medical University of Sofia

What Faculty of Pharmacy, Medical University of Sofia does

The Faculty of Pharmacy at Medical University of Sofia is a public academic institution and the oldest, largest, and most prestigious pharmacy higher education institution in Bulgaria, de facto founded in 1942 as a pharmaceutical department at Sofia University and established as an independent faculty under Medical University of Sofia in 1951. It delivers a five-year, 9-semester Master of Pharmacy program with a mandatory 6-month pre-diploma internship in approved pharmacies, plus optional specializations in Industrial Pharmacy and Clinical Pharmacy, an international Master's in Health Technology Assessment with Pharmacoeconomics, doctoral programs (PhD) in pharmaceutical sciences, and postgraduate specialization courses. The faculty serves a distributed student base spanning Bulgarian state-funded scholars under PMD No. 90/2000, EU/EEA mobile students via Erasmus+ partnerships with 8 faculties in 6 European countries, and tuition-paying international students served through a dedicated Dekanat 2 office; over 12,000 Master of Pharmacy graduates and 2,000 international students have been educated since founding.

The faculty operates specialized research infrastructure across six departments: Technology of Medicines with Biopharmacy, Pharmacognosy, Pharmaceutical Chemistry, Chemistry, Pharmacology/Pharmacotherapy/Toxicology, and Organisation and Economics of Pharmacy. The Drug Design and Bioinformatics Lab conducts computer-aided drug discovery and hosts freely accessible web tools for protein allergenicity and immunogenicity prediction; other laboratories focus on coordination chemistry, organic synthesis, pharmaceutical analysis, experimental pharmacology (toxicology and drug metabolism, neuropharmacology, isolated smooth muscle preparations, and experimental chemotherapy), and a faculty library with over 8,860 items and access to electronic databases including Web of Science, Scopus, JAMA, Nature, SpringerLink, and Science Direct. The faculty holds ISO 9001:2015 Quality Management System certification and is GDPR-compliant.

The business model is anchored in state education funding under Bulgarian government jurisdiction, supplemented by tuition fees from international students and research grants. No tuition amounts are publicly disclosed. Go-to-market is primarily direct through Medical University of Sofia's centralized admission process for Bulgarian and EU/EEA applicants, complemented by open days, an English-language website, and the Dekanat 2 office for international applicants. Distribution of practical training occurs via an approved-pharmacy internship network across Bulgaria, and international research mobility is enabled through the Erasmus+ partner network. Marketing channels include open days, scientific conferences (including the annual Student Scientific Session and PharmaNova), and participation in national e-Health and ICT programs.

Name

Faculty of Pharmacy, Medical University of Sofia

Legal name

Фармацевтичен факултет, Медицински университет – София (Faculty of Pharmacy, Medical University of Sofia)

Website

https://pharmfac.mu-sofia.bg

Company type

Private

Founded year

1942

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

The Faculty of Pharmacy at Medical University of Sofia is Bulgaria's oldest and largest public pharmacy school, delivering a five-year Master of Pharmacy program, doctoral training, and an international Master's in Health Technology Assessment with Pharmacoeconomics to Bulgarian and international students through specialized research laboratories.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Pharmacy Higher Education

NAICS

Colleges, Universities, and Professional Schools (6113)

akta.pro primary industry

Schools of Pharmacy (EDAHAGAE)

akta.pro secondary industries

Biomedical Sciences & Medical Research Institutes (University-Based) (EDAHAGAI), Healthcare Clinical Professions (CME/CE for Nurses, Allied Health, Pharmacy) (EDAAALAC), Schools of Medical Laboratory Science & Clinical Diagnostics (EDAHAGAO)

Keywords

• Pharmaceutical education
• Pharmacy degree programs
• Clinical pharmacy training
• Drug design research
• Health technology assessment

Headquarters

HQ city

Sofia

HQ country

Bulgaria

HQ region

Europe

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Infrastructure, Technology or R&D, Others

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels5 records

Core offering

The Faculty of Pharmacy is a state-funded academic institution delivering higher education and research in pharmaceutical sciences. Its central offering is a five-year (9-semester plus 6-month internship) Master of Pharmacy program, complemented by PhD programs in professional field 7.3 Pharmacy, postgraduate specializations in Clinical and Industrial Pharmacy, and an international Master's in Health Technology Assessment with Pharmacoeconomics. It also maintains research laboratories (drug design, coordination chemistry, organic synthesis, experimental pharmacology) and library services supporting teaching, scientific research, and continuing professional development.

Product overview

Faculty of Pharmacy at Medical University of Sofia operates as an educational institution offering a unified portfolio of academic programs. The core offering is the five-year Master of Pharmacy degree with optional specializations in Industrial and Clinical Pharmacy. Supplementary programs include an international Master in Health Technology Assessment with Pharmacoeconomics and doctoral programs in pharmaceutical sciences. The faculty provides research infrastructure through its Drug Design and Bioinformatics Lab and maintains a library with extensive electronic journal and database access. Postgraduate training encompasses specialized courses and six-month mandatory internship placements in approved pharmacies.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Master of Pharmacy (Magistrate Pharmaciae) Five-year professional degree program (9 semesters + 6 months internship) qualifying graduates as Master of Pharmacy, with specializations in Industrial Pharmacy and Clinical Pharmacy available after semester VI.
• International Master Program in Health Technology Assessment with Pharmacoeconomics Three-semester international master's program covering HTA methodologies, health economics, pharmacoeconomic evaluations, evidence synthesis, and epidemiological modeling, intended for pharmacists, health economists, and policy professionals.
• Doctoral Programs (PhD) Accredited PhD programs in professional field 7.3 Pharmacy, including Pharmacoeconomics and Pharmaceutical Regulation, with over 40 dissertations defended in the Department of Organisation and Economics of Pharmacy alone.
• Pre-Graduate Internship (6 months in pharmacy) Mandatory six-month supervised practical training in approved pharmacies for fifth-year students, culminating in state examinations and diploma thesis defense.
• Postgraduate Specializations Specialized courses for professionals working in the pharmaceutical sector, covering Clinical Pharmacy and Industrial Pharmacy specializations for postgraduate continuing education.
• Faculty Library Services Library providing 8,860+ items including journals, reference books, textbooks, pharmacopoeias, and theses; access to e-journals (JAMA, Nature, Springer, Science Direct, MEDLINE Complete) and bibliographic databases (Web of Science, Scopus, SciVal).
• Drug Design and Bioinformatics Lab Research laboratory conducting computer-aided drug discovery, development of therapeutically important small molecules, and freely accessible web applications for protein allergenicity and immunogenicity prediction.

Quantifiable outcome

• Over 12,000 Master of Pharmacy graduates trained since establishment
• +3 more outcomes

Segments1 record

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature5 records

Partnerships

Four partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• Socrates Erasmus Program Partners (Germany, Italy, Spain, Belgium, France, Denmark)coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2000Erasmus+ partnerships with 8 pharmacy faculties from 6 European countries (Germany, Italy, Spain, Belgium, France, Denmark) enabling student and staff mobility, joint research projects, and 4-month research placements for Bulgarian students in European laboratories. Membership in the program dates from 2000.
• Bulgarian Students' Pharmaceutical Scientific Society (BSPSS)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerActive student organization that engages students in scientific research, international exchange programs, and international health programs. BSPSS is a member of International Pharmaceutical Students' Federation (IPSF) and European Pharmaceutical Students' Association (EPSA), working closely with FIP and European Association of the Faculties of Pharmacy. Bulgaria hosted the Second World Scientific Symposium of IPSF in November 2000 in Albena.
• International Pharmaceutical Federation (FIP)minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerGlobal organization of pharmaceutical scientists and pharmacists. BSPSS collaborates with FIP as part of membership in international pharmacy student networks.
• European Association of the Faculties of Pharmacy (EAFP)minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerEuropean network of pharmacy education institutions. BSPSS collaborates with EAFP as part of membership in international pharmacy student networks.

Scale indicators11 records

Recent moves7 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Direct peers

• University of Vienna - Department of Pharmaceutical Sciences: European pharmacy school with comparable 5-year diploma program structure, doctoral research, and Erasmus+ partnership profile. Operates as a direct academic comparator under EU pharmacy education standards.
• University of Helsinki - Faculty of Pharmacy: Northern European pharmacy faculty with established BSc/MSc/PhD pipeline and research in drug design, pharmacology, and pharmaceutical chemistry. Comparable in academic structure and Erasmus+ integration.
• Charles University - Faculty of Pharmacy in Hradec Králové: Czech pharmacy faculty with long CEE heritage delivering the same 5-year Mgr. (Master of Pharmacy) qualification. Highly comparable in scale, regional position, and curriculum structure under EU directive alignment.
• University of Belgrade - Faculty of Pharmacy: Closest regional peer from neighboring Serbia, offering comparable 5-year integrated pharmacy program and doctoral research in pharmacology and pharmaceutical chemistry. Similar regional positioning and CEE market context.
• University of Lisbon - Faculty of Pharmacy: Major Iberian pharmacy faculty with integrated MSc in Pharmaceutical Sciences and substantial research output in medicinal chemistry. Direct peer in structure, scale, and EU regulatory education profile.
• Faculty of Pharmacy, Medical University of Varna: Another Bulgarian public pharmacy faculty offering the same Master of Pharmacy degree. Directly competes for the same applicant pool and is part of the same centralized Bulgarian higher-education admission ecosystem.
• Faculty of Pharmacy, Medical University of Plovdiv: Direct domestic peer delivering the Master of Pharmacy program in Bulgaria under the same national regulatory framework. Offers the same 5-year curriculum and is the most direct competitor for Bulgarian and EU students pursuing pharmacy education in-country.

Broad incumbents

• UCL School of Pharmacy: One of the leading UK pharmacy schools with a long heritage and comprehensive research-led MPharm program. Comparable along academic mission, research output, and pharmacy-specific degree structure, though at much larger scale and prestige.

Others

• European Association of Faculties of Pharmacy (EAFP): Pan-European network of pharmacy faculties in which the Sofia faculty participates via BSPSS. Not a competitor but a governing/coordination body that shapes pharmacy education standards and mobility pathways across Europe.
• International Pharmaceutical Federation (FIP): Global umbrella organization for pharmaceutical sciences and education. Connected to the Sofia faculty through BSPSS and relevant as a setting body for international pharmacy education and research cooperation.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat6 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/faculty-of-pharmacy-medical-university-of-sofia

Compliance2 records

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles6 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

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M&A

Investments

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