Healthcare science staff working in this field train in the following four areas:
- aseptic dispensing and preparation – oversight and maintenance of the facilities used to prepare sterile medicines
- production units – developing methods for the safe production of new medicines
- quality control – undertake a range of chemical and microbiological tests on medicines to ensure they are safe to use
- radiopharmacy – manufacturing and supplying radioactive substances used in nuclear medicine, which may be injected into the bloodstream, swallowed or breathed in. They are used to treat, diagnose and monitor the effects of therapies for cancer patients and are also used for investigating various other medical conditions such as heart, and kidney disease.
Trainee Pharmaceutical Scientists will be based in either Pharmacy or in Radiology/Imaging, and will rotate between all the above areas during their training. They are not required to select one in which to qualify, although they may choose to focus more on one through their choice of project, for example. Once qualified they are eligible to apply for relevant roles in any of the areas.