Pharmaceutical chemistry emphasizes the application of chemical sciences to pharmacy. Some of the courses deal with chemicals used as medicines - their use, nature, preparation and preservation. In other courses, attention is given to the processes and tests used to determine the purity and strength of a chemical or its pharmaceutical form. The pharmacy student learns, for example, how to find out if aspirin is pure, or how to determine how much vitamin C is contained in a particular solution or tablet. For example, with a drug such as quinine, this study involves the source, the commercial production, the marketing, the chief pure chemicals contained in the drug, and the uses made of the drug and its derivatives.
Pharmacology is concerned with understanding the action of drugs in the body.
Attention is given to the effects of various doses of each medicinal substance and to the different ways in which medicine can be introduced into the body. The effects of poisons and the means to overcome them are studied in toxicology. Generally, animal tests are required to learn the strength of drugs. Education in modern business management is important for graduates who plan to enter community pharmacy and some institution practices. This area is commonly designated pharmacy administration.