Specialty areas of practice

Navigation tip: Click on the shield in the top left corner at any time to return to ANZCAP Info Hub and Help Centre home page.


In this article


Summary

This article describes provides further definition for the 40 areas of specialty practice within ANZCAP.

Glossary

The glossary is intended as a guide; pharmacy services within each specialty areas include, but are not limited to, the definitions provided.

Specialty area 

Description

Addiction Medicine 

Pharmacy services aimed at the prevention, evaluation, treatment, and recovery of consumers diagnosed with addiction in a range of settings including inpatient, outpatient, ambulatory care or primary care settings.

Cancer Medicine 

Pharmacy services for oncology and haematology patients in inpatient, outpatient, ambulatory care or primary care settings for patients of any age.

Cardiology 

Pharmacy services in coronary care, cardiac units, emergency medicine, critical care, cardiac rehabilitation, cardiac surgery across a range of settings including inpatient, outpatient, ambulatory care or primary care.

Clinical Trials 

The provision of a clinical trial or investigational drugs pharmacy service to clinical trial participants in hospitals and Phase 1 clinical trial units, and pharmacy services provided to research departments.

Community Pharmacy 

Pharmacy services in any community pharmacy setting, including primary healthcare, educating consumers on health promotion, disease prevention and the proper use of medicines, safe and legal supply of medications and advice on drug selection and usage to other health professionals.

Compounding 

Pharmacy services related to the sterile or non-sterile compounding of medicines, nutrition, chemotherapy and other products.

Dermatology

Pharmacy services for people affected by dermatological conditions of the skin, hair, and nails in a range of settings including inpatient, outpatient, ambulatory care or primary care.

Critical Care 

Pharmacy services in critical care or related areas such as high dependency units and emergency medicine.

Education 

The supervision, education, professional development or training of learners in academic pharmacy or pharmacy healthcare organisations.

Emergency Medicine 

Pharmacy services in emergency medicine or related areas such as toxicology, pre-hospital care, disaster and retrieval medicine.

Endocrinology 

Pharmacy services to people diagnosed with conditions including diabetes, thyroid disfunction and osteoporosis in a range of settings including inpatient, outpatient, ambulatory care or primary care .

Gastroenterology 

Pharmacy services for people diagnosed with gastrointestinal issues – including Inflammatory Bowel Disease (IBD); liver, gall bladder and bile duct diseases; Pancreatic, Coeliac and Oesophageal diseases – in a range of settings including inpatient, outpatient, ambulatory care or primary care.

Generalist 

The broad experience of providing pharmacy care to a wide range of people in a variety of medical and/or surgical specialties across diverse healthcare settings.

General Medicine 

Pharmacy services for people receiving care in inpatient general medical units, general medicine outpatient clinics or for people otherwise receiving General Medicine pharmacy services in ambulatory or primary care settings.

Geriatric Medicine 

Pharmacy services for older people in a range of settings including acute medical and surgical units, subacute aged care, rehabilitation, residential aged care and other inpatient, outpatient, ambulatory or primary care settings.

Infectious Diseases 

Pharmacy services for people with infectious diseases, including critical care, tropical medicine, antimicrobial stewardship, antimicrobial therapeutic drug monitoring, surgical prophylaxis and HIV and sexual health medicine.

Leadership and Management 

Pharmacy leadership and management undertaken by pharmacy owners, pharmacists-in-charge, directors of pharmacy, associate/deputy directors, team leaders or senior pharmacists in community pharmacy or public or private hospitals. Includes other influential roles in health departments and government,, universities, advisory bodies or QUM organisations.

Medication Safety 

 

Pharmacy services dedicated to the provision of safe medication use and patient care at an organisational level, health service level or state/national level e.g. DUE and MUE.

Medication Supply

Pharmacy services related to dispensing or distributing in a primary care, inpatient or outpatient setting, medicine procurement, formulary management or robotics and automation.

Medicines Information 

Evidence-based advice services ensuring healthcare professionals and patients have access to accurate and safe resources and information about medicines; roles span a variety of healthcare setting or advisory bodies.

Medicines Management

The broad experience of providing indirect consumer pharmacy care, which may include service delivery, governance support, planning, education, leadership, and/or systems improvements and projects.

Mental Health 

Pharmacy care provided in mental health units, and in any inpatient, outpatient, ambulatory or primary care setting to patients of any age with mental health conditions. 

Neonatology 

Pharmacy services in inpatient, outpatient, ambulatory or primary care settings where newborns require care, including neonatal intensive care, special care nurseries, dedicated children’s health services and maternity health services. Can be combined with another specialty area (e.g. Neonatalogy and Surgery to describe neonatal surgery).

Nephrology 

Pharmacy services in nephrology units, kidney transplant units, critical care, dialysis units and any other inpatient, outpatient, ambulatory or primary care settings where patients of any age with renal impairment require care.

Neurology 

Pharmacy services for neurological conditions and their treatment and management within dedicated neurology units or any other inpatient, outpatient, ambulatory or primary care setting.

Ophthalmology  

Pharmacy services for people with ophthalmology conditions including treatment and management in inpatient, outpatient, ambulatory and primary care settings.

Paediatrics 

Pharmacy services provided in inpatient, outpatient, ambulatory and primary care settings where children require care, including paediatric intensive care, dedicated children’s health services and maternity health services. Can be selected with another specialty area (e.g. Paediatrics and Cancer Services to describe paediatric cancer services).

Pain Management 

The management of acute or persistent pain through pharmacy services in a range of settings, including acute surgical or critical care units, persistent pain clinics and other inpatient, outpatient, ambulatory or primary care settings.

Palliative Care 

Pharmacy care provided to people with progressive life-limiting illnesses with a focus on quality of life, including improving symptom management, in a range of settings including consultative services, inpatient, outpatient, ambulatory or primary care settings in specialist palliative care services.

Perioperative Medicine 

Pharmacy services in pre-anaesthetic assessment clinics, operating theatres and/or anaesthetics departments, in general wards where surgical patients are treated, and for people before and after surgery.

Pharmacy Informatics

Pharmacy services dedicated to deploying, building, analysing and improving data and digital systems such as electronic medication records, e-prescribing, dispensing software, automated dispensing systems, smart pumps and pharmacy robots.

Primary Care

Pharmacy services in a General Practitioner (GP) clinics and residential aged care facilities including the provision of Medication Management Review (MMR) and/or Residential Medication Management Review (RMMR).

Research 

 

Pharmacy services of academic researcher (i.e. university research positions) or combined research and healthcare in a range of settings including hospitals, primary healthcare, research organisations and universities.

Respiratory 

Pharmacy services related to the treatment and/or management of respiratory conditions either in dedicated respiratory units or any other inpatient, outpatient, ambulatory or primary care setting.

Surgery 

Pharmacy services in surgical units, operating theatres and/or anaesthetics departments and pharmacy services provided in general wards where surgical patients are treated, and for people before, during and after surgery.

Stewardship 

 

Pharmacy roles focused on the careful and responsible management of medication to achieve the best possible health outcomes. May incorporate monitoring of medication use, promoting sustainable use of medications and/or minimising adverse outcomes. Can be selected along with another specialty area (i.e. Stewardship and Infectious Diseases to describe antimicrobial stewardship).

Transitions of Care  

 

Pharmacy services that support continuity of care between healthcare services, particularly hospital and primary care e.g. Transition Care Program (TCP), Hospital Admission Risk Programs (HARP), Hospital in the Home (HITH) and Hospital Outreach Medication Reviews (HOMR).

Transplant 

 

Pharmacy services for transplant recipients. Can be selected along with another specialty (i.e. Nephrology and Transplant to describe renal transplant).

Voluntary Assisted Dying 

Pharmacy services related to the provision of Voluntary Assisted Dying (VAD) services.

Women’s Health 

Pharmacy services across all aspects of women’s health – from menarche to menopause and medicine use in pregnancy and breastfeeding.

Related articles