The Department was officially established in 1983, following its initial existence as a joint department with Pharmaceutical Chemistry since the inception of the Pharmacy degree program in 1980. Pharmacognosy represents one of the five major disciplines in pharmaceutical education, making it a highly specialized science.

This field is an applied science that encompasses the study of the biological, chemical, biochemical, and economic aspects of natural drugs and their constituents. It is synonymous with the study of “material medica,” which involves medicinal materials derived from natural sources such as plants, animals, and minerals. The name “Pharmacognosy” is derived from two Greek words: “pharmakon,” meaning drug, and “gignosco,” meaning knowledge. As a discipline, it can be described as the simultaneous application of various scientific disciplines to acquire comprehensive knowledge of drugs.

Pharmacognosy encompasses the knowledge of the history, distribution, cultivation, collection, selection, preparation, commerce, identification, evaluation, preservation, and use of drugs. Additionally, it delves into the economic factors affecting human and animal health.