Pharmacology & Therapeutics as a subject acts as a foundation stone on which the entire clinical empire is based. Ever since its inception in 1871, the premier health institution, Mayo Hospital, had been harboring a Hakim Class” which was introduced for people with some knowledge of Unani System” with general emphasis on Anatomy and Surgery. In 1883, as the number of students increased, a professor was appointed for the faculty of Materia Medica (now known as Pharmacology) & Pathology. The training classes for the Ward Boy and compounders were introduced in 1894 and 1901, respectively. During 1906-11, the Chemical Examination Department was shifted from the college and hence its several rooms got vacated where a separate department of Materia Medica was established. The Principal of this prestigious institute, Dr. Nelson Harper, in 1935, ardently emphasized for the construction of a separate building for the Pharmacology and hence in 1937, the Pharmacology department was constructed.

Prof. Col. Rai was crowned as the first head of the department. Later, Prof. Amir Chand succeeded him as the next head of the Pharmacology department.Then the renowned physician Col, Ilahi Bukhsh headed the department from 1937 to 1947. During this period, the Pharmacy department of the Punjab University, Lahore started working in K.E. Medical College, but later on, it was shifted back to its original Alma mater in 1950.

The Department of Pharmacology and Therapeutics at King Edward medical university is  providing holistic, integrated medical education that enables health professionals to use medicines judiciously and effectively in the community, promote safe and rational use of medicines in the community with due regard to scientific, social and ethical considerations.  The goals of this department are;

• To strengthen medical education in relation to Pharmacology for medical health care professionals including dental, nursing and other paramedical fields.
• To provide services related to use of medicines for better patient care.
• To disseminate information and guidance for rational use of medicines.
• To provide research facility in basic and clinical Pharmacology.
• To create resources for use in education and research.

The existing Pharmacology and Therapeutics department is actively involved in teaching MBBS undergraduates since the day of its emergence. The BDS 2nd year class of de, Montmorency college of Dentistry is attached to the department for last 76 years. The classes of nurses and dispensers were also conducted in the department as well.With the uplifting of KEMC to KEMU in 2006, different postgraduate classes and research projects have been initiated like M.Phil and PhD.

• MBBS
• BDS
• Doctor of Physiotherapy
• B.Sc. – Allied Health Sciences
• M.Phil (Pharmacology)
• PhD

In order to keep our teachers abreast with the modern trends in the subject, a Journal Club Meeting is being held regularly, where research papers related to the techniques & methodology of the experimental pharmacology are presented.

The new building is expected to have the following facilities;

1. Postgraduate Laboratory
2. Therapeutic drug monitoring
3. Museum
4. Pharmaco vigilance center
5. The Animal House constructed on modern design with sufficient provisions like keeping, housing, breeding, rearing and confining of different species of animals required for research purposes.

In future the following patient care facilities are planned to take place in the department;

• Formulation and implementation of Drug policy of GOP
• Selection and formulation of the list of Essential medicines
• National Antimicrobial Policy formulation
• Provincial vector borne disease control programme
• Promotion of rational use of medicines
• Monitoring of adverse drug reactions