Hanoi University of Pharmacy

Hanoi University of Pharmacy originated from the Indochina School of Medicine and Pharmacy, established in 1902. The school was first founded in Thai Ha Hamlet on February 27, 1902, then moved to its current location at 13–15 Le Thanh Tong Street in the city center. The school had a library and a 40-bed training hospital. Dr. Alexandre Yersin was appointed as the first director.

On July 26, 1909, the French government issued a decree regulating several matters concerning pharmacy education. In 1914, the Pharmacy Department was officially established, marking the beginning of formal pharmacist training.

In its early years, the school trained assistant physicians (assistant médecin), later renamed native physicians (médecin indigène), and then Indochinese physicians and pharmacists (médecin indochinois). In 1926, the school began training first-class doctors and pharmacists (equivalent to today’s university-level pharmacists), but students still had to take their final exams in France. By 1936, the school was authorized to hold graduation exams and award first-class pharmacist diplomas locally in Indochina.

On October 15, 1941, the French government renamed the institution Indochina University of Medicine and Pharmacy in Hanoi. In 1945, it was renamed Faculty of Medicine and Pharmacy University.

On September 29, 1961, due to the needs of the health sector, the Ministry of Health issued Decision No. 828/BYT/QĐ, separating the Hanoi University of Medicine and Pharmacy into two institutions: Hanoi Medical University and Hanoi University of Pharmacy. The separation was officially implemented in early 1964. At that time, Pharmacist Vu Cong Thuyet served as Rector and Party Secretary, and Professor Truong Cong Quyen was Vice Rector.

On September 11, 1985, according to Decision No. 1004/BYT-QĐ of the Minister of Health, the school’s name was officially changed to Hanoi University of Pharmacy. Since then, the university has operated under this name.