In Greek mythology, there is a story about Medea (the daughter of the goddess Hekate) and her apostle Pharmakides, who both served their gods with medicinal herbs. It is from this folk tale that the terms 'medicus' for drugs and 'pharmazie' for pharmaceutical science are derived. Hence, the letter 'P' is often used in the study of pharmacy.

One of the most important drugs in pharmaceutics is morphine, which is extracted from Papaver somniferum, otherwise known as the opium poppy. Opium prepared from its immature fruits was originally used as an antidiarrheic drug, and its alcoholic extract was later used for analgesic, sedative or hypnotic purposes. In 1805, a German pharmacist named Serturner isolated a compound in opium's pure state.

Due to its hypnotic properties, the compound was named 'morphine' after Morpheus, the God of Dreams in Greek mythology. Today, morphine remains one of the most powerful and reliable pharmaceutics, and is often referred as 'the god's own medicine'.

The design of the KPU emblem contains the Greek letter 'P' (i.e. 'P') and a poppy fruit symbolize represent the University's aim to further knowledge in pharmaceutical sciences so as to better serve humankind, as Pharmakides did.