Pharmacology vs Pharmacy: What’s the difference?
Interested in studying pharmacology or pharmacy, but not sure which path is right for you?
Pharmacology and pharmacy are often confused with each other due to how similar their names sound, however, they are distinct but related fields of study. Both explore medicines and how they affect the body, but they focus on different aspects of medicines and their use.
Learn how these fields differ, what skills are needed for both study areas, the careers they can lead to and how you can find which one is right for you.
What is pharmacology?
Pharmacology is the study of how medicines affect the body. It explores how medicines work, why they have different effects and how they can be used safely and effectively.
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As a pharmacologist, you might:
- be employed in clinical research, helping to plan, coordinate or monitor clinical trialsperform experiments in a laboratory discovering and developing new medicines
- provide scientific advice about medicines in government and public health settings
- work as a medical or scientific director, providing scientific leadership and overseeing research and development programs in pharmaceutical and biotechnology companies
- work in regulatory affairs, preparing evidence and submissions for approval by regulatory authorities
write scientific, regulatory or educational materials about medicines and their effects.
What is pharmacy?
Pharmacy focuses on helping people get the best outcomes from their medicines. Pharmacists help people use medicines safely and effectively. They work closely with patients, doctors and other healthcare providers.
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As a pharmacist, you might:
- advise patients on how to take their medications
- contribute to government health programs, medicines policy or medication-safety initiatives
- help patients manage conditions such as diabetes, asthma or high blood pressure
- give advice on non-prescription medicines
- prepare or supervise the dispensing of medicines
- promote public health awareness
- provide vaccinations and other health services
- work in research and development for medicines or other health products
- work with the community to improve patient care and health outcomes
What’s the difference between pharmacology and pharmacy?
Both fields help improve people’s health, but they focus on different stages of the medicine journey. Pharmacology focuses on research into how medicines work in the body. Pharmacy focuses on how medicines are developed, supplied and used to support patient care.
A pharmacy degree combines subjects such as pharmacology, pharmaceutics, pharmaceutical chemistry and clinical therapeutics/practice to give you a comprehensive understanding of medicines.
Unlike pharmacy, pharmacology is a science-based field rather than a registered healthcare profession. If you're majoring in pharmacology, you may study topics such as drug discovery and development, molecular mechanisms of drug action, toxicology, clinical research and more.
Pharmacology vs pharmacy vs medicinal chemistry
These three fields may overlap as they look at different parts of the process that takes a medicine from discovery to patient care. They all draw on knowledge of mathematics, chemistry, biology and biomedical sciences.
Pharmacology
The study of how drugs interact with the body.
Pharmacy
The preparation and dispensing of drugs to help patients.
Medicinal chemistry
The science of creating and designing pharmaceutical drugs.
Pharmacologists and medicinal chemists often work together to develop new medicines. Medicinal chemists design potential new medicines, while pharmacologists test how those medicines work and whether they’re safe and effective. Pharmacists can contribute to medicine development by helping develop formulations and drug-delivery methods that ensure they’re stable, effective and practical for patients to use. Together teams of pharmacologists, medicinal chemists and pharmacists, contribute to the development of medicines that are effective, safe and suitable for patients to use.
Learn more about medicinal chemistry and pharmacology here.
Careers in pharmacy and pharmacology
Pharmacy and pharmacology can lead to a range of career opportunities. Pharmacy graduates can work in a range of settings where they support patient care and strengthen health systems, while a pharmacology degree can lead to careers across research, healthcare and industry.
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Some pharmacy jobs you could explore may include:
- aged care pharmacist
- clinical pharmacist
- clinical trials
- community pharmacist
- community or private hospital pharmacy owner
- general practice pharmacist
- government or NGO health advisor
- health logistics
- health service management
- hospital pharmacist
- pharmaceutical industry specialist
- pharmacy consultant
- pharmaceutics
- research pharmacist.
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Some pharmacology jobs you could explore may include:
- biomedical research in government, industry or university labs
- biotechnology
- clinical trial management
- government roles, including working at the Therapeutic Goods Association (TGA)
- medical, pharmaceutical or science sales and marketing
- medical science liaison
- regulatory affairs monitoring and registering of medicines
- patent examiner or patent searcher analyst
- research and development in pharmaceutical or medical devices companies
- research grant management
- science communication and public engagement
- science policy
- toxicology.
What skills are needed to work in pharmacy or pharmacology?
- Skills needed in both fields
- How these skills are applied
Skills needed in both fields
To be successful in both pharmacy and pharmacology relies on a mix of scientific knowledge and professional skills, including:
- adaptability
- attention to detail
- clear communication
- collaborative teamwork
- commitment to lifelong learning
- ethical awareness.
Examples of how to apply these skills | ||
|---|---|---|
| Skill | Pharmacy | Pharmacology |
| Attention to detail | Checking the correct medicine and dose | Ensuring experimental data is recorded accurately |
| Communication | Explaining how a patient should take a medicine | Presenting research findings to scientists |
| Problem-solving | Helping a patient manage side effects or medicine interactions | Investigating why a potential drug is not producing the expected effect |
| Scientific knowledge | Applying knowledge of medicines to patient treatment | Investigating how a drug affects cells, tissues or organs |
| Teamwork | Working with doctors and nurses to support patient care | Working with medicinal chemists to develop a new medicine
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How to choose between pharmacy or pharmacology
Whether you choose pharmacy or pharmacology, the right choice depends on your interests, strengths and career goals.
Choose pharmacy if you:
- enjoy science, healthcare and patient care
- like working with people and want to improve health outcomes
- want to work in careers as a registered healthcare professional in community, hospital and specialist clinical settings
- would like to work on clinical placements, have patient interactions and dispense, prescribe and manage medications.
Choose pharmacology if you:
- are interested in how drugs affect cells, organs and the whole body
- enjoy analysing data and evaluating scientific evidence
- like communicating science to different audiences
would like to contribute to biomedical research in government, industry or university settings.
Where to study pharmacy or pharmacology?
Whether you’re interested in pharmacy or pharmacology, you can explore both study options at UNSW.
Study pharmacy with UNSW Medicine & Health through undergraduate or postgraduate research programs. You can study pharmacology with UNSW Science in undergraduate programs, honours or postgraduate research.
You’ll learn from experts, gain practical experience and build industry connections that prepare you for a range of careers in pharmacy or pharmacology.
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