The European Center of Pharmaceutical Medicine (ECPM) or Institute of Pharmaceutical Medicine is dedicated to being the leading university institute for medicines and drug development in Europe. The ECPM belongs to the Department of Public Health of the Medical Faculty at the University of Basel and operates with partners worldwide. The institute was founded in 1991 to cover the training needs of specialists working in drug development. It comprises an education and training department (est. 1991) and a research department (est. 2003).

The education and training focus is on Advanced Studies and Continuing Professional Development (CPD). The ECPM Diploma Course (ECPM Course) contains six modules and represents the core of the postgraduate training platform. The course offers students to obtain a Diploma (DAS) or Certificate of Advanced Studies (CAS) in Pharmaceutical Medicine or a Master of Advanced Studies (MAS) in Medicines Development. Our broad range of CPD short courses count towards the Master program, yet they are also a stand-alone offer and can be booked individually. The curriculum provides a holistic understanding of the drug development process from molecule to market as well as key concepts in regulatory science and marketing.

In addition, the ECPM trains undergraduate medicine and human biology students in pharmaceutical medicine, health economics and health policy. It provides education and training across all phases of medicines and drug development, including pharmaceutical medicine, clinical research, and regulatory sciences, regulatory affairs and especially in genomics, health economics and in quantitative research methodology.

The ECPM has established an internationally recognized academic research institution with a focus on pharmaceutical related and health care related research. The institute's research activities focus on the health economic characteristics, cost-benefit implications and efficient use of pharmaceuticals and other health care interventions in Switzerland and internationally. The findings lead to recommendations, how scarce health care resources can be optimally used to maximize patient benefit and how to enable informed and transparent decision making in the health care sector.

The ECPM Education and Training platform is under the auspices of EUCOR, the European Confederation of the Upper Rhine Universities Basel, Switzerland, Freiburg, Germany and Strasbourg, France. It is accredited as IMI PharmaTrain “Centre of Excellence” and also accredited as a continuing education provider by the Swiss Society of Pharmaceutical Medicine (SGPM) and the Swiss Society of Pharmaceutical Professionals (SwAPP). The platform in addition is acknowledged by the International Federation of Associations of Pharmaceutical Physicians (IFAPP) and the CAS/DAS in Pharmaceutical Medicine is recognized by Swissethics as investigator and sponsor-investigator training in research ethics and Good Clinical Practice (GCP).