The School of Pharmacy at Hainan University was established in March 2021, building upon the solid foundations of several existing programs and key laboratories. These include undergraduate program in Pharmaceutical Engineering (established in 2004) inherited from the original School of Oceanography, the Ministry of Education Key Laboratory of Tropical Bioresources (established in 2008), the undergraduate program in Pharmacy (established in 2014), the master's program in Pharmacy (established in 2012), and the master's program in Biological and Medical Science under the former School of Life Science and Pharmacy (established in 2020). The School boasts an impressive range of academic offerings, including a doctoral program in Pharmacy, two master's degree programs (Biological and Medical Science, and Pharmacy), as well as two undergraduate programs (Pharmacy and Pharmaceutical Engineering). Pharmacy stands as a distinctive and advantageous discipline in Hainan Province, holding the distinction of being a doctoral discipline, while the undergraduate program in Pharmacy has been designated as a national first-class undergraduate program. Professor Luo Haibin, a recipient of both the National Key Talents Program and National Outstanding Youth Fund, has been appointed as the inaugural dean of the School.

At present, the School boasts an impressive faculty body of 73 members, 62 of which are full-time teachers. Among them, 22 hold senior professional titles, while 36 have associate professional titles. 92.1% of the teachers holding senior professional titles are full-time teachers. Furthermore, an overwhelming majority of 92.1% (or 58) of our full-time teachers possess doctoral degrees. Among the full-time teachers, there is 1 member of the Chinese Academy of Engineering (CAE), 2 recipients of the National Key Talents Program, 1 leading figure in the national “Thousand Talents Plan” for scientific and technological innovation, 2 experts who receive Special Government Allowance from the State Council, 1 recipient of the National Outstanding Youth Fund, 1 National Baosteel Excellent Teacher, and 8 nationally renowned talents introduced through flexible policies. The faculty spans six major disciplines, encompassing medicinal chemistry, pharmaceutics, pharmacognosy, pharmaceutical analysis, microbiology and biochemistry pharmacy, and pharmacology.

Currently, the School has nearly 700 students, comprising over 500 undergraduates, more than 160 master's students, and over 20 doctoral students. Capitalizing on Hainan's abundant tropical medicinal flora and marine resources, the School is dedicated to nurturing high-caliber, innovative scientific and technological talents in the field of drug research for the State’s health industry. In recent years, the employment rate for graduates has consistently remained at over 90%. Particularly, the “Guidance Program for Further Studies” has yielded impressive results, with an average of more than 45% of undergraduate students pursuing postgraduate education in renowned institutions both domestically and internationally. These include prestigious universities and research institutes such as Tsinghua University, Institute of Medicinal Plant Development of Peking Union Medical College Institute, China Pharmaceutical University, Shenyang Pharmaceutical University, Shanghai Institute of Materia Medica, Chinese Academy of Sciences (CAS), Shandong University, Sun Yat-sen University, Sichuan University, University of Science and Technology of China, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Nanjing University, Xi'an Jiaotong University, Wuhan University, Soochow University, and King's College London, among others. For the graduating class of 2023, the rate of undergraduate students pursuing further studies stands at an impressive 48.63%, with over 92% securing admission to Double First-Class universities and CAS institutes.

The School is home to six provincial and ministerial-level research platforms, including the Ministry of Education Key Laboratory of Tropical Bioresources, the Innovative Talent Introduction Base for Tropical Biology and Medicine under the Ministry of Education's “111 Project”, the Platform for R&D of New Drugs from Tropical Marine Organisms under the Ministry of Natural Resources, two academician workstations in Hainan Province, namely the David Craik Academician Workstation and the Li Song Academician Workstation, as well as the Hainan Provincial Biopharmaceutical Engineering Industry College. Furthermore, the School is actively establishing the “New Drug Screening and Evaluation Platform of Hainan University” (with an investment of RMB 450 million) and the “Active Pharmaceutical Ingredient Industrial Park of Hainan Province”, contributing to the advancement of the School’s disciplines and the pharmaceutical industry in Hainan Province.

In 2022, the School initiated 27 new research projects with a total funding of RMB 23.69 million. There are 10 state-level projects with a funding of RMB 13.1 million, including 8 projects funded by the National Natural Science Foundation, 1 project from the Ministry of Industry and Information Technology, and 1 key research and development project. Additionally, there are three horizontal projects with a total funding of RMB 8.6 million. In 2022, the School published 55 SCI papers as the first author or corresponding author. Professor Luo Haibin’s paper titled “Drug Screening for COVID-19 Based on Tianhe Supercomputer” was shortlisted for the International Supercomputing “Gordon Bell” Special Prize in 2021, marking the first time a paper from the field of pharmacy received this honor. The School actively engages in domestic and international scientific and technological cooperation and academic exchanges. It hosts the “Hainan Free Trade Port Pharmacy Forum”, encouraging both outbound and inbound exchanges to broaden the horizons of faculty and students and stimulate research ideas. The School has made significant achievements in the development of new drugs from tropical marine organisms, i.e. conotoxin.From October 24 to 31, 2017, it organized the 19th World Congress of the International Society on Toxinology in China, marking the first time the International Society on Toxinology held its congress in China. On February 4, 2023, the School collaborated with the Haikou Municipal Government to establish the Haikou Pharmaceutical Valley Expert Consultation Committee, a cutting-edge think tank dedicated to advancing the high-end medical industry. This committee provides valuable advisory services and recommendations for the significant development plans of the pharmaceutical sector in Hainan. From April 7 to 9, 2023, the School took the helm in organizing the successful 7th Pharmaceutical Frontier Forum of Acta Pharmaceutica Sinica (which coincided with the 70th anniversary symposium of the journal) and the Forum on the Development of Pharmacy Discipline at Hainan University in Haikou City. This grand event featured a main venue alongside seven subsidiary venues, attracting an assembly of over one thousand participants, including more than two hundred distinguished domestic pharmaceutical experts and scholars who actively engaged in exchange and dialogue.

With an unwavering focus on fulfilling national demands and supporting the socioeconomic growth of Hainan, the School ardently embraces the developmental ideology stating that “Hainan's challenges are overcome with the support of Hainan University”. Leveraging the abundant tropical medicinal flora and marine resources unique to Hainan, the School showcases its commitment to highlighting the tropical and marine characteristics while actively integrating into the construction of Hainan Free Trade Port. By situating itself within an industrial park, the School concentrates on fundamental research in new drug development, targeting major diseases as well as novel drugs specific to Hainan's medical landscape. It seeks to establish a world-class pharmaceutical discipline, fostering platforms for new drug research and development, innovation transfer, shared facilities, and talent cultivation. As a “participant, staff headquarters, incubator and reserve team” for the Hainan Free Trade Port construction, the School diligently nurtures specialized professionals necessary for the advancement of the pharmaceutical industry. Moreover, it endeavors to produce highly skilled, innovative scientific minds in the realm of pharmaceuticals, who can effectively contribute to the nation's wider health industry and propel the thriving growth of China's bio-pharmaceutical sector.