Pharmacology and Toxicology Department was established by Resolution of the UWM Senate No. 316 of June 13, 2008. Pharmacology and Toxicology Department is located in a modern building of the Emil Behring Experimental Medicine Center - 1st floor, which is located on the premises of the University Hospital, Aleja Warszawska 30.

The founder and first head of the Department was prof. Dariusz Pawlak.

The current head of the unit since January 1, 2021 is dr hab. n. med. Michał S. Majewski, prof. UWM.

Since October 1, 2008, Pharmacology and Toxicology Department has been conducting classes for students of medicine in Polish language, and since October 1, 2010 for students of medicine in English language. Further, Pharmacology and Toxicology Department began classes for students of other medical divisions: Nursing, Emergency Medicine, Dietetics, Obstetrics and Physiotherapy. Students of the newly established Collegium Medicum UWM are able to use the Department's modernly equipped teaching classrooms and laboratories.

Since its establishment, the Pharmacology and Toxicology Department developed its structure in a  dynamic way and systematically was expanding with new laboratories and research profiles. The Pharmacology and Toxicology Department conducts scientific and research activities within the framework of internal and external grants obtained by the Department's employees, mainly from the National Science Centre. Research mainly concerns diseases of the cardiovascular system. Other research work is also carried out on drugs and their availability.

The Pharmacology and Toxicology Department has a classic structure, with the future plans to create 2 or 3 Departments as the staff grows. The Pharmacology and Toxicology Department's scientific activity focuses on searching for new points of drug action and new therapeutic strategies for diseases of the circulatory system, vascular diseases, hemostasis, respiratory and reproductive systems and neurodegenerative disorders.

The results of the research are published in a high quality foreign and domestic journals.