Andhra University is the second institute in the country to start pharmacy courses at University level in 1937. The pharmacy courses were initially offered in the B.Sc. Honours degree of chemical technology and as a specialization at M.Sc. Chemical Technology level. The importance of pharmaceutical sciences led to the formation of a separate department in 1951, with the commencement of B.Pharm. course with late Prof. S. Rangaswamy as founder Head of the Department. The M.Pharm. course was started in 1954. A separate Faculty of Pharmaceutical Sciences was formed in 1975.The department has been elevated as a constituent college of Andhra University in August 2006.
At present, the department offers B.Pharm, Pharm-D, Pharm-D (PB) and M.Pharm and Ph.D. programmes in eight specializations namely Pharmaceutical Technology, Pharmaceutical Biotechnology, Pharmaceutical Chemistry, Pharmaceutical and Food Analysis, Pharmacology, Pharmacognosy and Phytochemistry, Pharmacy Practice and Pharmaceutical Management & Drug Regulatory affairs. The department has the distinction of being the first in the country to start pharmaceutical biotechnology division. Prof. S. Rangaswamy and founder faculty members Prof. V. Subba Rao, Prof. N. Viswanadham, Prof. K. Sambamurty and Prof. E. Venkata Rao laid solid foundations and moulded the department into one of the best in the country.