L O A D I N G

Our History

Akademia e Farmacisë “Eureka”, founded by Prof. Ledjan Malaj, continues the tradition of the Malaj family and of the “Eureka” Shpk company, one of the first pharmacies and later a pharmaceutical distributor in Albania.

“Eureka” Shpk was born in the early 1990s in the city of Elbasan, to stand by the city's patients in those difficult times, thanks to Baftjar Malaj, a pharmacist of unsparing contribution in many dimensions.

As a public healthcare professional, he worked from the late 1960s until the early 1990s at various levels of the health system of the Elbasan region, improving services to the community.

Upon finishing higher education, even though he stood out as one of the most talented pharmacists of his generation in Tirana, he returned to Elbasan, choosing to serve temporarily the community of Cërrik and later once again Elbasan. In the late 1970s he held the position of deputy head of the health section, where he made an essential contribution to building the health infrastructure of the city and the region, from health centres to the improvement of the conditions of polyclinic and hospital facilities.

He also contributed to raising the level of human resources by creating opportunities for specialisation quotas and advancement for the city's and the region's health professionals. During this time he was also engaged in the further development of public health in the territory, making an important contribution to statistical registers, the monitoring of indicators and the hygiene measures so important for the community.  

In the 1980s he took up the position of director of the pharmaceutical service for Elbasan and the whole region — an opportunity to make an even more specific contribution to the advancement of his profession as a pharmacist, something he had also done while serving on the executive committee. He fundamentally reorganised the infrastructure of pharmacies, setting up around 30 pharmacies in the city of Elbasan and the region with a new concept, placing pharmacies in central positions within the community. An organic system that managed, within the possibilities of the time, to guarantee the citizens of Elbasan a quality similar to that of Tirana. This was recognised on several occasions by the institutions of the time, both for the directorate and for Baftjar Malaj himself, who received many awards during his life.

The pharmaceutical network of Elbasan stood out for the creation of pharmacies specialised in paediatric care, the formalisation of traditional herbal pharmacy, and the administration of service distribution at several levels — from the pharmaceutical warehouse to the pharmacies of the territory and the hospital ones. These were innovations for the time.

An essential factor in raising the quality of the service was also the care taken over the professional and scientific development of human resources. Pharmacists from Elbasan often managed to present professional and scientific innovations and papers precisely as a result of the spirit created by this director.

In the early 1990s, together with his colleagues, he sought to privatise the city's pharmaceutical enterprise, making its employees shareholders and preserving the structure built over the years. This became impossible when the Ministry of Health at the time created the conditions for the fragmentation of the system, following the example of Law 7501 on the division of land among villagers. He was then removed from his position, and the pharmaceutical enterprise began to disintegrate.

Those were difficult times, when it was hard for Albanians to access medicines and there were severe shortages. It was precisely in this period that he opened the first private pharmacy in Elbasan, cooperating with Swiss and Greek pharmaceutical companies, and later with partners from all over Europe. He later also opened the first pharmaceutical warehouse in Elbasan, which continued its activity until 2009.

Today Akademia e Farmacisë “Eureka” takes up this precious legacy with the good intention of carrying it forward, of contributing so that pharmaceutical professionals deepen their knowledge, and so that pharmacists respect and are
respected in
their profession, and so that the Albanian pharmaceutical sector may face the challenges of the 21st century with dignity.

Ledjan Malaj

Professor Ledjan Malaj is head of the course in Pharmaceutical Technology at the University of Medicine, Tirana, Department of Pharmacy.
He currently holds the position of Head of this Department, and previously served as Vice-Dean of the Faculty of Pharmacy and head of the Department of Pharmaceutical Technology and Biopharmacy.
A full-time lecturer since the academic year 2001–2002, with a substantial contribution at the academic and professional level to the pharmaceutical sector and services in the Republic of Albania, the Republic of Kosovo and the Republic of North Macedonia,
Professor Ledjan Malaj belongs to the generation that, at the beginning of the 21st century, chose to return to Albania to contribute to the great systemic changes in the country and in the region.
Today he is one of the most prominent figures in Pharmaceutical Technology in South-Eastern Europe, extending his collaborations across many EU countries.
Professor Ledjan Malaj completed his studies at the University of Camerino, where he graduated “Dottore in Farmacia” con lode, and later defended his Doctorate of Science in Pharmaceutical Technology with the highest distinction. He spent exchange periods as a doctoral student at the University of Lille II in France, and remains engaged in exchange programmes as a Visiting Professor at universities across EU countries.

Professor Ledjan Malaj is a Clinical Auditor certified by the Ministry of Health and Social Protection, a Quality Assessment Expert for the Ministry of Education, and an active participant in the special commissions of the Order of Pharmacists.

Published books:

Pharmaceutical Technology 1 [2021 – 2022] Textbook for pharmacy students (University of Medicine, Tirana)
Pharmaceutical Technology 2 [2021 – 2022] Textbook for pharmacy students (University of Medicine, Tirana)

Receptura Magjistrale dhe Galenike [ 2016 ] Prishtine 2016 (Botim i dytë). ISBN 978-9951-426-46-6

Manual i Përgatitjeve Galenike [2016] Tiranë 2016. ISBN 978-9928-134-82-0

Receptura Magjistrale dhe Galenike [2007] Prishtinë 2007

Prof. Ledjan Malaj is the author and co-author of dozens of international publications, and has supported the convening of numerous regional and national conferences.

Frequently asked questions

Akademia e Farmacisë Eureka is an educational institution offering specialised courses and training in the field of pharmacy. We offer advanced programmes for students and professionals who wish to improve their knowledge and skills in this healthy and fast-growing industry.

Our programmes are open to anyone who wishes to pursue a career in pharmacy. We offer courses for students, pharmacy professionals, as well as for those who want to develop their skills in specific areas of pharmacy such as clinical pharmacy, pharmaceutical management, research and more.

To enrol in a programme, simply visit the “Register” section of our website, choose the programme you wish to follow and complete the registration form. You will then receive further information on the remaining final steps.