The DAPI was founded in 1952 – at a time when the Federal Republic of Germany had neither uniform medical drug product legislation nor a state authority to monitor medical drug product quality. In an initial reaction to this state of affairs, the GIDE at first carried out individual and series analytical tests in its own laboratory and wrote up expertises for several decades (see also PZ article "Neue Aufgaben zum Fünfzigsten" ("New Tasks for a Fiftieth Anniversary")).

The structures involved in research, manufacture and sales of pharmaceuticals have now changed fundamentally and completely new tasks have come to the fore. In consequence, the DAPI altered its statutes in 2001 in order to refocus its core competency on pharmacoepidemiological and pharmacoeconomic analyses of anonymized prescription data.

At the end of 2003, the first stage of these changes was realized with the inception of the monthly standard data service "DAPI Statistics" for the state pharmacists’ organizations and other member associations of the DAPI .

In 2005, the data service was expanded to include ad hoc analyses by way of a flexible reaction on the part of the DAPI to queries from members and external parties. This also makes it possible to realize internal evaluations at short notice on current pharmaceutical themes.

With the conclusion of the restructuring phase in the autumn of 2006, the DAPI was also be able to answer questions related to pharmaceutical treatments for individual patients. This was not possible with the aggregated data in the form used before. To satisfy the coming of new requirements 6 years later in the year of 2012 an extended new data warehouse was put into operation. For details please see: The DAPI.