Pharmacy is supported by several specialized scientific fields that ensure drugs are safe, stable, and effective:

• Pharmaceutics: The study of how to turn a new chemical entity (NCE) into a medication that can be safely used by patients (e.g., turning a powder into a tablet or an injectable).

• Pharmacology: The study of how drugs interact with the body. This includes Pharmacokinetics (what the body does to the drug—absorption, metabolism, excretion) and Pharmacodynamics (what the drug does to the body).

• Pharmacognosy: The study of medicines derived from natural sources, such as plants, animals, or marine organisms.

• Medicinal Chemistry: The science of designing and synthesizing new drug molecules.