A federation of five national pharmaceutical associations as its constituents - IPCA is the apex body representing the Indian Pharmacists working in various capacities, viz, Community Pharmacists, Hospital Pharmacists, in Industry (in Production, R&D, Quality Assurance Marketing, Regulatory Affairs) Academics and other disciplines and areas of work.

IPCA has more than 20,000 pharmacists as its members: The Indian Pharmaceutical Association - IPA, The Indian Pharmacy Graduates Association-IPGA, The Indian Hospitals Pharmacist Association-IHPA, The Association of Pharmaceutical Teachers of India - APTI and The All India Drugs Control Officers Confederation - AIDCOC.

The first Indian Pharmaceutical Congress (IPC) was organized at Kolkata in December 1948 with Prof. M.L. Shroff as its President. Thereafter, each year the IPC has been organized successfully. The professionals elected to preside over the IPC and IPCA for these years have been people of great eminence in their fields. The Presidents have been personalities mainly from the Drug Industry, Pharmaceutical R&D, Pharmacy Education and Drugs Regulatory Affairs. Intelligent and appropriate expression has been given by each of the Presidents to particular issues and fields giving prime importance to the theme statement provided by each of them for their respective IPC and IPCA.