At the end of the last millennium, Ukraine experienced rapid development of the pharmaceutical industry. It was driven not only by an increase in domestic manufacturers of various medicines and the creation of a significant number of wholesale pharmaceutical companies, but above all, by a sharp increase in the number of pharmacies. The existing higher medical (pharmaceutical) educational institutions (Zaporizhzhia State Medical University, National Pharmaceutical Academy in Kharkiv, Danylo Halytskyi Lviv State Medical University) could not meet the pharmaceutical industry’s demand for specialists in the relevant field, and therefore there was a need to expand the geography of Ukrainian pharmaceutical education.

The Faculty of Pharmacy at the then Ternopil State Medical Academy named after I. Gorbachevsky was founded in 2000. It should be noted that the Academy administration and a well-known scientist in the field of pharmacology, professor Mykola Skakun, played a significant role in its establishment. It is necessary to note the foresight of the Academy management, which considered the development of pharmacy in Ternopil region comprehensively:

• in 2000, the specialty «Pharmacy» was licensed;
• in 2001 – the specialty «Clinical Pharmacy»;
• in 2002 – the specialty «Technology of perfumes and cosmetics».

In addition, part-time students studied at the Faculty of Pharmacy for the first years, and after the second year, they continued their higher education at the National University of Pharmacy (NUPh).

In order to form a professional teaching staff at the faculty, the Academy’s rectorate developed a concept of personnel policy, which allowed ensuring the teaching of specialised disciplines by highly qualified scientific and pedagogical staff in a short time. Thus, professor Taras Hroshovyi, associate professor Liudmyla Vronska, associate professor Liudmyla Sokolova, associate professor Dmytro Korobko, and senior lecturer Volodymyr Hnidets were invited from leading pharmaceutical companies and educational institutions with accommodation provided. A number of the faculty members received their higher pharmaceutical education at the NUPh (Professors Liudmyla Fira and Ivan Klishch, associate professors Liudmyla Vronska, Hryhoriy Zahrychuk and Mariia Shanaida). After postgraduate studies at the respective departments of the NUPh, Olga Polyak, Halyna Kozyr and Mariia Leleka defended their dissertations for the degree of candidate of pharmaceutical sciences.

Candidate of pharmaceutical sciences, associate professor Svitlana Marchyshyn was appointed the first head of the faculty of pharmacy, and the first enrolment was 75 people. A year later, about 150 applicants from different parts of the western region of Ukraine became first-year students of two specialities. This was facilitated by both the active position of the faculty leadership and a set of campaign activities developed by the academy’s admissions committee.

In December 2002, professor Taras Hroshovyi was elected dean of the faculty of pharmacy in a competitive selection process.

It was under his leadership that all the necessary teaching and learning materials for teaching specialised disciplines at the appropriate level were developed and summarised. At the initiative of Taras Hroshovyi, highly qualified staff of practical pharmacy were involved in teaching the block of organisational disciplines (General director of LLC TAO Halyna Kvasnytska, commercial director of Naturproduct-Vega Vadym Solyar, pharmacy managers Prokip Bratun, Vasyl Honchar).

In autumn 2003, students of the faculty of pharmacy took the test exam «Krok-1. Pharmacy» test exam, which resulted in the first place in Ukraine in the unofficial standings. In november 2003, the faculty organised and successfully held the conference «Modern aspects of pharmaceutical activity», which was attended by Mykhailo Pasichnyk, then deputy minister of health of Ukraine, head of the state service of Ukraine on medicines and medical products. In addition to him, the event was attended by a significant number of representatives of practical pharmacy in Ternopil region. No wonder this conference is considered the first official «presentation» of the faculty of pharmacy.

The faculty continued to develop, its material and technical, educational and methodological bases were strengthened, and the number of students increased. In different years, the departments included candidate of pharmaceutical sciences, associate professor Alla Znaevska, candidate of medical sciences, senior lecturer Iryna Moseychuk, candidate of medical sciences, assistant professor Orysia Smachylo, pharmacists-organisers assistant professor Nataliia Korobko, assistant professor Natalia Markiv and others.

In september 2004, the first international scientific and practical conference «Development, production, standardisation, pharmacoeconomics of medicines and biologically active additives2 was held in cooperation with the National University of Pharmacy. It should be noted that the delegation of leading scientists of the National University of Pharmacy was headed by the rector, corresponding member of the national academy of sciences of Ukraine Valentyn Chernykh. This undoubtedly demonstrated respect for the young faculty and confirmed the correctness of the direction of development chosen by it.

In 2005, all fifth-year students of the faculty of pharmacy successfully passed the test exam «Krok-2. Pharmacy» test and were ranked second in Ukraine, and the faculty was accredited at the third level.

The faculty also gained its first achievements at the All-Ukrainian student Olympiads in the speciality «Pharmacy». Students Olha Pavkh (2004) and Olha Novakovska (2005) became prize-winners in the disciplines pharmacy technology of medicines and industrial technology of medicines.

Thanks to all the above, the faculty was gaining more and more recognition from the pharmaceutical community of the Western region and took a worthy place among the higher education institutions that trained specialists in the pharmaceutical industry.

In 2006, candidate of pharmaceutical sciences, associate professor Liudmyla Sokolova became the dean of the faculty of pharmacy. She not only continued the glorious traditions established by her predecessors, but also introduced many new things.

Thus, with her active participation the publication of the professional journal «Pharmaceutical Review» was launched at the university. The specialty «Clinical Pharmacy» and «Technology of Perfumery and Cosmetics» was also accredited according to the III level and the master’s program in the specialties «Pharmacy» and «Clinical Pharmacy» was licensed. In 2007, the first graduations of intern pharmacists and masters, who underwent post-graduate training at the university, took place. Then the specialties «Pharmacy» and «Clinical Pharmacy» were accredited according to the IV level.

Graduate 2007 Volodymyr Boichuk has practiced the drug technology at the Ternopil Regional Hospital Pharmacy № 126

Scientific work was significantly intensified, in which not only young teachers were involved, but also promising graduates, some of whom replenished the faculty’s staff. Scientific research was carried out within the framework of two research projects: «Search, creation, standardization and pharmacoeconomics of medicines and biologically active additives of various pharmacotherapeutic groups» and «Pharmacognostic study of some medicinal plants». Based on the results of the conducted research, a number of patents for inventions and utility models in Ukraine were obtained, also a significant number of articles were published in specialized pharmaceutical and medical journals, and more than 30 diploma and master’s theses were defended.

In 2007, assoc. prof. Svitlana Marchyshyn defended her thesis for the degree of Doctor of Pharmaceutical Sciences, which once again confirmed the high reputation of the faculty’s staff.

Scientists of the faculty successfully reported the results of their work and continued to work in two areas: «Search, organizational, technological and pharmacoeconomic research and standardization of medicinal products and biologically active additives of various pharmacotherapeutic groups» and «Pharmacognostic analysis and study of the pharmacological action of biologically active substances of medicinal plants in experiments».

Graduate 2006 Oksana Shvidkiv has done her postgraduate course at the University of Dublin (Ireland, 2009)

In 2009, the defense of the first PhD theses took place at the university (Nataliia Beley, Olha Demydyak) and in 2010, a number of scientific and pedagogical employees of the faculty received the PhD in pharmaceutical sciences (Volodymyr Pidhirnyi, Liudmyla Mosula, Nataliia Horlachuk, Mariyana Vasenda), as well as their first graduates (Olena Kalushka, Olga Pavh, Oksana Barna, Oksana Trygubchak).

Staff of the department joined in working with potential applicants. Thus, for the first time in Ukraine, the creative laboratory «Pharmacy» was opened in Ternopil for students of grades 9-11 at the regional branch of the Minor Academy of Sciences. In 2008, at the All-Ukrainian competition for the best educational program for use in scientific circles, groups, and sections of the Minor Academy of Sciences, the academic program of our laboratory became the winner (authors of the program: Liudmyla Sokolova, Liudmyla Fira, Dmytro Korobko). At the same time, the teachers of the faculty did not leave out schoolchildren from the countryside. For example, a branch of the creative laboratory «Pharmacy» was established in Pidhaitsi, which not only contributed to the deepening of students’ knowledge, but also carried out relevant career guidance work.

In order for students to acquire thorough practical skills and to establish closer cooperation with other higher educational institutions and pharmaceutical enterprises, with the assistance of the university and faculty management, student exchange programs and relevant industrial practices were launched in 2006: on the basis of Zaporizhzhia State Medical University and Laboratory for quality control of medicinal products in Zaporizhia – «Quality control of medicinal products»; National University of Pharmacy (Kharkiv), the factory «Doctor Theis» (Germany) and the factory «Efekt» (Kharkiv) – «Technology of medicinal and cosmetic products»; pharmacies in Wroclaw (Poland) – «Organization and economics of pharmacy», «Management and marketing in pharmacy». In turn, part of the students of the pharmaceutical faculties of the eastern regions of Ukraine had the opportunity to undergo industrial practice in pharmacognosy based on the botanical garden «Chervona Kalyna».

Manufacturing practice of the Faculty of Pharmacy students in the technology of medicinal and cosmetic products (Germany, Dr. Theiss Naturwaren GmbH, 2006)

Students of the faculty continued to demonstrate a high level of theoretical knowledge when taking the integrated test-based exam «Krok 1. Pharmacy» and «Krok 2. Pharmacy». In particular, the faculty led the official all-Ukrainian rating based on the results of these exams in the 2008/2009 academic year.

Since the beginning of 2007, the programs «Student Science and Vocational Training» and «Student as a future specialist of high qualification» were launched to optimize student scientific work at the university. More than 50 students of the Faculty of Pharmacy were actively involved, and within a short period it gave positive results. Thus, in March 2009, students Yuliia Vadzyuk and Anastasiia Sokolova took the II and III places at the respective final scientific and practical conferences of the All-Ukrainian competition of student scientific works on natural, technical and humanitarian sciences. In March 2010, students Yuliia Ivanyna and Olga Shuklinova repeated last year’s success of their colleagues.

The performances of students of the faculty at the All-Ukrainian Student Olympiads in the specialty «Pharmacy» were extremely successful. Since 2006, the representatives of the faculty have always taken prize places in the individual and team competitions based on the results of the II stage.

Andriy Hinka (2006) and Inna Prydyba (2007) are prize-winners of the II stage of the All-Ukrainian Student Olympiads, the specialty «Pharmacy» in the individual competition

The authority of the faculty in Ukraine was confirmed by the appointment of our university as the base for holding the II stage of the All-Ukrainian Student Olympiad in the specialty «Pharmacy» (2010-2011). Among the newly created faculties, such trust was not shown to anyone else. At these forums, students of the Faculty of Pharmacy presented their Alma mater with dignity and won the first places in both individual (Anastasiia Sokolova, 2010, Olga Lukashiv, 2011) and team competitions.

Starting from 2012, for three years in a row, the university was designated as the base for the second round of the All-Ukrainian competition for student scientific works on natural, technical and humanitarian sciences in the field of «Pharmaceutical Sciences», which was another recognition of the faculty’s personnel potential.

The work of the branch competition commission during the final scientific and practical conference of the All-Ukrainian student scientific works competition in the field of «Pharmaceutical Sciences» (Ternopil, 2012)

Every year, the percentage of scientific and pedagogical staff of the faculty with scientific degrees in pharmaceutical sciences increased, which was facilitated by a set of measures developed by the university administration. The teachers of the faculty actively carried out experimental research in various directions, exchanged experience with their colleagues from other higher educational institutions during scientific and practical conferences, which were initiated by the faculty on several occasions.

In 2012, Dean of the Faculty of Pharmacy Liudmyla Sokolova defended her thesis for the degree of Doctor of Pharmaceutical Sciences. Since August 2013, she was appointed the director of the State University «Central Methodical Office for Higher Medical Education of the Ministry of Health of Ukraine». Then PhD in Pharmaceutical Sciences, assoc. prof. Dmytro Korobko became the dean of the faculty.

The faculty has not only preserved the established traditions, but also continues to improve and develop it led by Dmytro Korobko. Re-accreditation of the specialties «Technology of perfumery and cosmetic products» and «Pharmacy» was successfully conducted, the training of students of higher education at the second (master’s) and the third (educational-scientific) levels, the specialty 226 Pharmacy was licensed, the training of correspondence students according to the European credit-transfer system and regulatory term was started, etc. Recognition of the dean’s professionalism is his involvement into the group for creating a standard of higher education for masters of pharmacy.

The Faculty of Pharmacy has a powerful educational, methodological and material-technical base, a highly qualified staff, which contains almost 100 percent scientific and pedagogical workers with scientific degrees. The renovated and equipped educational and scientific laboratories of educational building № 3, other areas of the university are used by teachers and students of the faculty for thorough training of future specialists in the pharmaceutical industry.

Graduate 2007, PhD, Pharm.D, associate professor, Ihor Berdey conducts the lesson of pharmacy technology of medicines

The faculty has already formed its own scientific schools over the years of its existence. Therefore, research of the creation of various new medicinal forms for industrial production, pharmacoeconomic and marketing reseach of medicines of various pharmacotherapeutic groups were carried out led by Professor Taras Hroshovyi.

Professor Svitlana Marchyshyn heads the field of pharmacognostic, phytochemical and pharmacological research of plant raw materials and relevant extracts based on them.

Significant progress has been achieved in the direction of obtaining original synthetic compounds based on 1,3-dimethylxanthine. Highly pharmacologically active substances, which are potential active pharmaceutical ingredients, were identified among the numbers of obtained substances.

Continuous connection of generations. During the meeting of new members and graduates of the specialization «Quality Control of Medicines» (Ternopil, 2012)

The direction of scientific research of development and improvement of standardization and validation methods of the corresponding medicines, determination of their bioequivalence, etc., is actively developing. It is led by Doctor of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Professor Liliya Logoyda (a graduate 2009). Her DSc thesis: Scientific and Theoretical Substantiation of Bioanalytical Research and Standardization of Antihypertensive Medicines Using Chromatographic Methods. She has defended a thesis in 2019 year and she became the youngest doctor of pharmaceutical sciences in Ukraine.

In 2020, Liliya Logoyda was awarded the Saint Panteleimon Medal in the nomination «For Scientific Achievements in Medicine».

Faculty teachers have repeatedly presented the results of their research at international scientific forums as reports and posters. It should be noted that scientific and pedagogical staff of the faculty’s departments actively publish in databases Scopus and Web of Science.

The signing of a number of contracts/agreements with international partners and institutions of higher education of Ukraine contributes to the improvement of the scientific research quality performed by teachers and students of the faculty. It activates of academic mobility of the educational process participants.

The best confirmation of this is the defence of a thesis «Pharmacognostic investigation of representatives of the Nepetoideae Burnett. subfamily of the Lamiaceae Martinov family as a sourсе of herbal medicinal products» by Shanaida Mariia in 2021 (specialty 15.00.02 – Pharmaceutical Chemistry and Pharmacognosy).

Faculty teachers were actively involved in the development of virtual computer training and control programs, which had a positive effect on the students’ educational process. It should also be noted the publishing activity of the scientific and pedagogical staff of the faculty. Thus, the professor of the pharmacognosy and medical botany department Svitlana Marchyshyn has taken part in the publication of the first national pharmacognosy textbook. The educational and methodological manuals and monographs in the pharmaceutical field were published by the faculty teachers. They created and printed many methodological recommendations for the control work performance for correspondence students, passing manufacturing practices, workbooks on the relevant disciplines, etc.

Dakhym Iryna (a graduate 2005, PhD, associate professor) conducts the lesson by the specialization «Medicinal plants and phytotherapy»

The students results of the licensing exams «Krok» is one of the objective evaluations of the faculty’s educational work. Traditionally, all students of the faculty pass the licensing integrated test exam «Krok 2. Pharmacy» (currently, stage 2 of the USQE) and according to theirs results the faculty are in the top three among higher education institutions of the medical (pharmaceutical) direction of Ukraine.

Students of the faculty continue the traditions of their predecessors and represent the university at relevant all-Ukrainian events: student Olympiads in the specialty «Pharmacy», competitions of student scientific works in the natural, technical and humanitarian sciences in the field of «Pharmaceutical Sciences», etc.

Some graduates of the faculty have confirmed their diplomas in EU countries, the USA, Australia, etc.; hold management positions in leading pharmaceutical companies of Ukraine; achieved success in the scientific field.

Educational work at the faculty is paid to considerable attention. Excursions, tourist trips, national-patriotic activities were organized for students (including foreign ones) on several occasions. It should be noted that these activities are not only cognitive and educational-scientific, but also contribute to the formation of a harmonious personality capable of significant achievements in the near future.