The term derives from Ancient Greek φαρμακοποιΐα (pharmakopoiia) (literally "drugmaking"), from φάρμακον (pharmakon) "drug", followed by the verb-stem ποι- (poi-) 'make' and finally the abstract noun ending -ια (-ia).
In early modern editions of Latin texts, the Greek spellings φ (f), κ (k) and οι (oi) are respectively written as ph, c, and œ, giving the spelling pharmacopœia.