By Science and Research Officer Jegak Seo and Research Manager Lauren Ross

In pharmacy, science is often subtle. It may look like a patient conversation shaped by behavioural insight, or a dose adjustment informed by pharmacokinetics. To explore how science informs everyday practice across a variety of sectors, we asked four early career pharmacists working in clinical and academic roles to share their reflections.

Q1: Can you tell us how you have utilised sciences in your day-to-day role within the past month?

• Social and Behavioural Sciences: Utilised open-ended questioning and behavioural science frameworks (e.g. Behaviour Change Wheel) to improve patient engagement and intervention design.
• Physiology & Pharmacology: Applied pharmacokinetics and drug interaction knowledge to monitor concentrations and efficacy, teach clinical pharmacology, and adapt dosing for different paediatric age groups.
• Pharmaceutics and Formulation Science: Adapted dosage forms (e.g. for PEG/NG tubes), selected formulations based on physical properties and patient preference, while carefully balancing licensing status, palatability, and cost which are key considerations in ensuring safe and acceptable medicines use in paediatric patients.
• Pharmacogenomics: Used in paediatric oncology and respiratory settings where genetic factors impact treatment choices.
• Population Health/Public Health Sciences: Supported vaccination uptake, antimicrobial stewardship, and health equity through work in HIV and sexual health.
• Drug Discovery: Not yet applied, though expected to be explored through future clinical trials placements.

Q2: What scientific skills are considered essential in practice?

Pharmacokinetics and pharmacotherapeutics were highlighted as foundational, especially for roles in acute care or specialisms such as paediatrics or infectious diseases. Understanding formulations and being able to effectively modify them was also seen as essential in hospital-based roles. This is especially important during periods of drug shortages, where pharmacists often need to identify alternatives, or make clinical decisions about alternative, safe administration routes (e.g., can a tablet medicine can be crushed to make an oral liquid formulation?).

Beyond technical expertise, the ability to critically appraise evidence was consistently highlighted as a core scientific skill. This relies on an understanding of the scientific method and includes interpreting clinical trial data, assessing the quality of guidelines, and applying evidence to clinical or educational practice.

Q3: Do early career pharmacists see themselves as scientists?

The responses to this question were mixed amongst the early-career pharmacists; however, all acknowledged that science is central to their decision-making and professional growth. The varying thoughts in response to this question can be seen in the below quotes:

“I don't view myself as a scientist in my current role, which is clinical within a specialist paediatric hospital. However, in the future I hope to get more involved with the hospital's research… and develop more scientific skills.”

“Yes, the principles of science are often needed in my role, and scientific data underpin the basis of my research. I see my role as taking that science and making it clinical for others to understand, as well as improving healthcare practices in the UK.”

“It is harder to consider myself a scientist because, due to COVID, I did not have a lot of active lab experience within my degree… I find it hard to reconcile my scientific skills and my clinical skills.”

Would you like to add to the debate? Tell us how you use science in your practice or research. Email us at [email protected] or visit the ECPEAG webpage to find out more.

Many thanks to our contributors:
Bhavna Halai – Chief Pharmaceutical Officer’s Clinical Fellow, Care Quality Commission
Nabeel Syed – Rotational On-Call Pharmacist, Great Ormond Street Hospital
Daniel Okeowo – Lecturer in Pharmacy Practice, Newcastle University
Joseph Thomson – Rotational Specialist Pharmacist, Manchester University NHS Foundation Trust

Find out more how pharmacy professionals apply science in everyday practice in our previous blog of the series: Application of Science by Antimicrobial Pharmacists.

Catch up on our career session featured at the Clinical Pharmacy Congress 2025.

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