The two days exhibition on History of Indian Pharmacopoeia which was held on March 26th and 27th at Mohali was based on the personal collection of professor Harkishan Singh and was the first of its kind in the heritage of pharmaceutical sciences. The event was inaugurated by Dr Nityanand, chairman, scientific body, Indian Pharmacopeia Commission (IPC) at the Pharmaceutical Heritage Centre in National Institute of Pharmaceutical Education and Research (NIPER), Mohali.

The exhibition highlighted the pharmacopoeial history of India since 1824, when London Pharmacopoeia (edition 1809) was first translated into hindustanee for the use of the students of the Native Medical Institution founded in 1822 at the Presidency of Fort Williams, Calcutta. Exhibition displayed the archives of Indian Pharmacopoeia.

The pharmacopoeias were divided into, British Period and Independent India. Original pharmacopoeias and National Formulary of India were also put on display. Beside this, about 40 numbers of pharmacopoeias, in original as well as the copies, like Nagree print of the hindustanee version of the London Pharmacopoeia (1809) of 1824, Phillips English translation of the London Pharmacopoeia of 1836, Indian & Colonail Addendum to the British Pharmacopoeia (1898) of 1900, Indian Pharmacopoeial List of 1946, National Formulary of India of 1960, 1979 and of 2010 were also displayed in the exhibition.

The exhibition also exhibited variety of tools, mortars, grinders and number of other things which were used in the ancient times for making medicine in India and elsewhere.

Those present on the occasion include, professor K K Bhutani, director, NIPER, Dr A Surolia, director, Indian Institute of Immunology,  professor G Padmanabhan, ex-director, Indian Institute of Science, and professor Harkishan Singh, emeritus professor, Punjab University, Chandigarh.

Pharmacopoeia is the official drug compendium of India which given complete information of the medicines, vaccines and biotechnology products manufactured or sold in India.