Drug Action examines how the drug itself actually works in a living system. The action of the drug can be studied at the molecular level, in a cell, an organ, and in animals. Specialty fields within Drug Action include molecular biology, pharmacology, pharmacodynamics, toxicology and biochemistry. Clinical Sciences are concerned with the use of drugs in the treatment of diseases. Drug Analysis involves separating, identifying, and quantifying the components of a sample.
Analytical chemistry is an important component of all areas of the pharmaceutical sciences.
Regulatory Affairs promotes communication, understanding and cooperation between scientists from industry and academia and the regulatory authorities worldwide who govern approval and distribution, by means of developing regulatory guidelines. More and more, these categories are beginning to overlap. For example, a scientific engineer working in Drug Delivery needs to understand how toxicology affects Drug Action, and a chemist working in Drug Discovery and Design must know about the pharmacokinetics of Drug Delivery. For this reason, pharmaceutical scientists are required to have a broad base of knowledge in a variety of sciences. Career Opportunities in the Pharmaceutical Sciences Over the years, pharmaceutical scientists have been instrumental in discovering and developing innovative drugs that save thousands of people's lives and improve the quality of life for many others.