If you’re interested in pursuing a career in the medical industry, you’ve probably come across two similar-sounding degrees: Pharmacy and Pharmacology. However, although they sound alike, they’re actually quite different!
If you’re not sure which to choose, read on and we’ll explain the difference between these two degrees, and which one might be right for you.
What is Pharmacy?
A practical, patient-focused degree
- Learn how to prepare, dispense and manage medication
- Do a practical placement in a healthcare setting
- Work closely with patients to help keep them safe
Become a registered Pharmacist
- Work in a hospital, GP surgery or community pharmacy
- Become an Industrial Pharmacist for a medical company
- Alternatively, conduct research or teach at a university
Pharmacy is the study of medicines and how they are used to treat patients. You’ll learn how to prepare, dispense and manage medications, and ensure that they are used safely. You will also become familiar with the legal and ethical guidelines that pharmacists work within.
As Pharmacy is a very practical degree, you’ll get hands-on experience by completing a placement in a healthcare setting like a hospital, pharmacy or GP practice. As part of your training you’ll build your communication skills, learning how to work with patients and advise them on how to properly manage their treatment.
By the end of your degree, you will have a good knowledge of the uses and effects of different drugs, and which medicines cannot be taken together. You’ll also be confident working directly with patients, filling prescriptions, advising them on how to manage their medication and offering advice on treating minor ailments like coughs and colds.
Choose Pharmacy if you like working with people
A Pharmacy degree is designed to prepare you to work as a registered Pharmacist, and many graduates go on to work in either a hospital or a community pharmacy. Whichever setting you work in, patients will be at the heart of everything you do. You’ll be a vital part of the healthcare system, working with both the general public and doctors to ensure patient safety.
This all means that Pharmacy is an ideal degree for students who are passionate about healthcare and love spending time interacting with others.
Outside of working in a pharmacy, other popular roles for pharmacy graduates include:
- Industrial Pharmacist, assisting medical companies with drug development and quality control
- Regulatory Affairs Specialist, ensuring that companies stay compliant with drug laws and regulations
- Researcher or academic, teaching or conducting research at a university
What is Pharmacology?
A research-focused degree
- Study drugs and how they interact with different bodily systems
- Work in a laboratory doing research
- Define the risks of different drugs and determine safe dosages
Flexible career opportunities
- Work as a Drug Development Scientist researching new treatments
- Become a Toxicologist, ensuring drug safety
- Be a Regulatory Scientist and help to approve new medicines
Pharmacology is the scientific study of drugs and their effects on the body. It’s a multidisciplinary degree that combines Medicine and Chemistry, with elements of Biology too.
While Pharmacy is a very practical and patient-focused degree, Pharmacology is more research based. You’ll spend a lot of time in the lab, learning how drugs are absorbed into and distributed through the body, and the ways they interact with different organs and bodily systems.
Pharmacologists are involved in the development of new medications, so you’ll also learn to analyse their potential side effects, and weigh the benefits against the risks.
When you graduate, you’ll know how different drugs work and be able to determine the correct dosage.
Think of Pharmacology as the step before Pharmacy
- Pharmacologists are involved in researching and developing medications
- Pharmacists are experts in how to dispense, administer and manage these different medications
Pharmacology can also extend past human medicine to cover the use effects of drugs on animals, agriculture and the environment.
Choose Pharmacology if you like research
While Pharmacologists also work in the medical field, they have far less interaction with patients than Pharmacists, as you’ll mostly be working behind the scenes. Your primary focus will be on researching and developing new drugs, and you’ll be at the forefront of exciting medical developments.
Pharmacology is the choice for you if you enjoy research and working in a lab, rather than in a patient-facing role. It also offers more diverse career opportunities than Pharmacy, so it’s a good option if you’re not sure exactly what you’d like to do when you graduate. Some possible careers for Pharmacy graduates include:
- Drug Development Scientist, researching and developing new drugs
- Toxicologist, assessing the safety and potential risks of various chemicals and drugs
- Clinical Trials Manager, running studies testing the new medical treatments
- Regulatory Scientist, working on the approvals process for new drugs and medicines
How to study a Pharmacy or Pharmacology degree
We hope this has made the distinction between Pharmacy and Pharmacology a bit clearer! If you’re interested in studying either degree, Kaplan can help. We partner with top universities in the UK, USA and Canada to offer international students entry to a degree abroad, either through degree admission or a degree preparation course.
You can get started by using our degree finder to search available Pharmacy and Pharmacology degrees, or if you still have questions, get in touch and one of our friendly Education Advisors will be happy to help you find the best option for you.
