The aim of our study was, firstly, to review the scientific literature available on the pharmaceutical biotechnology education in the European Union, and, secondly, to systematize the approaches that the universities apply to address the issue. A literature search was performed and the information about the curricula in the biotechnology-related disciplines included in the pharmacist education in the European universities was obtained from the universities ‘websites. In total, 130 universities’ web sites were searched and the available information about 81 universities was used. Our study showed that there is no unified approach to biotechnology in the studied universities. There are three approaches chosen by the universities to address biotechnology in the pharmacy curriculum: distribution of biotechnology topics throughout the curriculum, offering a compulsory pharmaceutical biotechnology course, or elective/optional course in addition to biotechnology topics in other disciplines. However, the majority (60%) have chosen to incorporate various biotechnology subjects throughout the pharmacy curriculum and just 9% add an elective course in pharmaceutical biotechnology.

The significant number of biotechnology-derived medicinal products available to the European patients has influenced the pharmacy education. A unified and better organized approach to pharmaceutical biotechnology in the EU with special attention to production and distribution of biotechnology medicinal products will benefit the education.