Lisbon

The Museu da Farmácia opened in June 1996 in Lisbon, established to preserve the history of the Portuguese pharmaceutical profession following a 1981 initiative by the National Association of Pharmacies. The museum represents over 5,000 years of health history with a collection of over 15,000 pieces from various global locations. Housed in a former palace in the Santa Catarina district, this compelling museum chronicles pharmaceutical history from ancient Egyptian and Mesopotamian practices (circa 3600 B.C.) to modern space-age pharmacy kits used on the Space Shuttle Endeavour. Notable exhibits include four reconstructed historical pharmacies from the 18th to 20th centuries, including a unique authentic Chinese pharmacy from Macau—the only one displayed in the Western world—alongside an Ancient Egyptian coffin of Irtierut from the Late Period. The museum features traditional pharmaceutical tools such as mortars, scales, and storage vessels, plus highlights Portuguese chemists like Odette Ferreira, who played a significant role in identifying the HIV-2 virus. The museum also showcases space-age artifacts including portable pharmacies used on the Russian Mir Orbital Station and medicines taken aboard space missions.