5. Hospice Pharmacy

Hospice pharmacists work with terminally ill patients and majorly focus on providing palliative care. They work with controlled substances e.g. narcotics to atleast alleviate pain in the terminally ill patients. 

6. Oncology pharmacy

These pharmacists have specialised training in the treatment and management of different forms of cancer. They use various chemotherapy, immunotherapy and radiotherapy techniques for cancer management while closely monitoring individual dosing, administration and the effects presented to respective patients. 

7. Infectious disease pharmacy

This readily focuses on the avid use of microbiology and pharmacology. With specific focus on the pharmacokinetic and pharmacodynamic properties of antimicrobials in the development and monitoring of drug regimens. These pharmacists are key drivers of antimicrobial resistance awareness as they personally work with resistant microorganisms and see their effect on patients first hand.

8. Pediatric Pharmacy

Children are one of the important demographics in medicine. Their medication needs close monitoring and tailoring due to their underdeveloped physiology. Paediatric pharmacists tailor-make drugs for children based on their specific ages and weights. 

9. Nutrition Support Pharmacy

Pharmacists in this subset use nutraceuticals, natural products and modify nutritional supplements to provide nutritional support to special patient demographics, for example, pregnant patients or patients with chronic conditions like diabetes and cancers or even those in need of parenteral nutrition.

10. Community Pharmacist

Community pharmacists could either venture into retail or wholesale sale of drugs and medical equipment. There is even an option to combine both human and veterinary medicine, depending on the demand of your locale. Some pharmacists who have ventured into the wholesale trade of pharmaceuticals have dived into the supply chain phase of pharmacy. From importing raw materials for pharmaceutical industries, to parallel importation of drugs or even import of medical equipment. Community pharmacists need additional knowledge and training so as to execute such activities effectively for example, management, psychology, pharmacotherapy and even public health training.

11. Industrial pharmacist

In this subset of pharmacy, pharmacists are involved in the manufacture of medicines. The different dosage forms of drugs from injectables, to sterile products e.g. eye drops, normal saline, nasal drops, oral dosage forms like syrups, suspensions, solutions, tablets and capsules, and not forgetting external preparations like creams et al. Pharmacists in industries could act as the company pharmacist who is the direct link between the board and the industry, the Quality assurance manager, Quality control manager or even the production pharmacist. Pharmacists can also work in the quality assurance department under the QA manager. 

Apart from pharmaceutical industries, industrial pharmacists could also work in food manufacturing plants or event soap manufacturing industries like Cussons ltd.

12. Nuclear Pharmacist

These pharmacists deal with the handling of radioactive compounds which are used for diagnosis and even treatment of various medical conditions. They are tasked with the procurement, compounding, dispensing, distribution of radiopharmaceuticals and monitoring patient outcome and safety. Nuclear pharmacy is a growing field and it offers great promise of employment in the future.

13. Forensic Pharmacists

Forensic pharmacists are involved in the use of drug knowledge to resolve legal problems in criminal justice e.g. homicides, and regulatory processes. They can work in poison centers, forensic laboratories, criminal defense, directorate of criminal investigations, research and academic institutions, among others. 

14. Pharmaceutical innovation and drug development 

This subset of pharmacy deals with the research, discovery, design, innovation and development of drugs. Here, pharmacists are involved in drug discovery, preclinical and clinical drug trials, post marketing surveillance, among others. They may have a masters degree in Pharmaceutical technology, Biostatistics, Clinical Trials, Medicinal Chemistry, Molecular Pharmacology, Pharmaceutical Biotechnology or Pharmaceutical Microbiology.

15. Regulatory Affairs and Health Policy

These are pharmacy specialists involved in the pharmaceutical regulatory affairs. They stay relevant with, formulate and adjust the policies and legal framework governing the profession. They provide regulatory guidance to other members of the healthcare sector or regulatory agencies. The areas of practice include but are not limited to; academia, administration, leadership at regulatory institutions, manufacturing industries, NGOs, occupational health and safety, and leadership at both national and county levels.

Well, attachment and internships come in handy in opening one’s mind in choosing  which field they venture into. For instance, had one been attached to a hospital facility, industrial setting and/or community (retail) pharmacy, then by the end of the day, they would at least have a rough idea on what they like and what they don’t. Due to how broad hospital practice is, hospital rotations are also key, as one would be able to highlight the different subsets of clinical pharmacy and note fields of interest. 

Note, that one does not have to make their mind right away, it is okay to change your mind again and again while trying to find your footing. An important note is not to be afraid to partake on any task or opportunity presented your way. You never know until you try!

My sincere gratitude to the savvy Dr. Guya Membo, Director of Ramogi Chemist, for his unending wisdom and guidance, and for sharing his time.

Which field of Pharmacy Practice are you interested in? Kindly share and comment down below. Also check out our previous blog post on The Best YouTube Channels For Medical Students  if you haven’t already.