Journal profile · PHARMACOLOGY & PHARMACY
Pharmaceutical Medicine
ISSN 1178-2595 · eISSN 1179-1993 · Springer Nature · 6 issues per year
Pharmaceutical Medicine: CAS Zone 4 · Medicine (2025 upgraded edition); impact factor 4.7 (journal website); hybrid open access; APC about USD 4,290; review about 10 days (submission to first decision, publisher); 235 articles in 2025; indexed in ESCI and Scopus.
Scope
Aims, scope and focus
Pharmaceutical Medicine is published by Springer Nature and is in Zone 4 of Medicine in the CAS Journal Ranking (2025 upgraded edition). By OpenAlex counts of its recent articles, its largest topics are Pharmaceutical Economics and Policy, Health Systems, Economic Evaluations, Quality of Life and Pharmacovigilance and Adverse Drug Reactions, together about 37.4% of its articles. (generated from OpenAlex topic counts and CAS ranking data)
Pharmaceutical Medicine is a specialist discipline concerned with medical aspects of the discovery, development, evaluation, registration, regulation, monitoring, marketing, distribution and pricing of medicines, drug-device and drug-diagnostic combinations. The Journal disseminates information to support the community of professionals working in these highly inter-related functions. Key areas include translational medicine, clinical trial design, pharmacovigilance, clinical toxicology, drug regulation, clinical pharmacology, biostatistics and pharmacoeconomics. The Journal includes: Overviews of contentious or emerging issues. Comprehensive narrative reviews that provide an authoritative source of information on topical issues. Systematic reviews that collate empirical evidence to answer a specific research question, using explicit, systematic methods as outlined by PRISMA statement. Original research articles reporting the results of well-designed studies with a strong link to wider areas of clinical research.
From the journal's Aims & Scope
Research area (LetPub): PHARMACOLOGY & PHARMACY
Editor-in-chief Sue PochonPublisher website
Editorial board by country: none in mainland China; most named New Zealand 11, United States 9, United Kingdom 8, Germany 3, Italy 3 (47 members with a country) Editorial board ↗Publisher website ·
Main research topics OpenAlex counts of recent articles; shares are approximate
- Pharmaceutical Economics and PolicyEconomics, Econometrics and Finance17.3%
- Health Systems, Economic Evaluations, Quality of LifeEconomics, Econometrics and Finance11.2%
- Pharmacovigilance and Adverse Drug ReactionsPharmacology, Toxicology and Pharmaceutics8.9%
- Pharmaceutical studies and practicesMedicine8.9%
- Statistical Methods in Clinical TrialsMathematics5.4%
- Pharmaceutical industry and healthcarePharmacology, Toxicology and Pharmaceutics5.4%
- Science, Research, and MedicineMedicine5.3%
- Biomedical Ethics and RegulationMedicine5.3%
Rankings & indexing
CAS ranking and database indexing
CAS Journal Ranking
CAS Journal Ranking, upgraded edition (March 2025)Medicine Zone 4
| Level | Category | Zone |
|---|---|---|
| Major | Medicine | Zone 4 |
| Minor | Pharmacology & Pharmacy | Zone 4 |
Top journal: noReview journal: no
CAS Xinrui Journal Ranking (March 2026)Medicine Zone 3
| Level | Category | Zone |
|---|---|---|
| Major | Medicine | Zone 3 |
| Minor | Pharmacology & Pharmacy | Zone 3 |
Top journal: noReview journal: not marked
CAS Journal Ranking, previous upgraded edition (December 2023)Not covered
Not covered by this edition.
Database indexing
ESCIScopusLetPub
International journal early-warning lists: not listed in any editionLetPub
Indexing the journal's website claims
MEDLINEEmbaseCASPublisher website
Other: Google Scholar, EBSCO, ProQuest, Dimensions, CNKI, Baidu, Naver, OCLC, Portico, CLOCKSS
As the journal's website lists them, not checked against each database; for Web of Science editions the records above apply.
Editions, and major and minor categories, are shown separately and never merged into one zone; check which edition your institution uses before you submit or report.
Metrics
Impact metrics and publication volume
Impact
- Impact factor (publisher) 2025
- 4.7Publisher website ·
- 5-year impact factor (publisher) 2025
- 4.3Publisher website ·
- CiteScore 2026-06
- 8.4LetPub ·
- SJR 2026-06
- 1.44LetPub ·
- SNIP 2026-06
- 1.49LetPub ·
- h-index
- 38OpenAlex ·
- i10-index
- 195OpenAlex ·
- 2-year mean citedness
- 1.22OpenAlex ·
- Self-citation rate
- 6.4%LetPub ·
- Share of gold OA articles
- 49.14%LetPub ·
Volume
- Articles per year
- 43LetPub ·
- Articles per year (publisher)
- 2,025Publisher website ·
- Downloads per year (publisher) 2025
- 249,000Publisher website ·
Articles by year OpenAlex count · 1,224 in total · the current year is incomplete
| Year | Articles | Open access | Citations |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2026 | 41 | 22 | 6 |
| 2025 | 235 | 30 | 154 |
| 2024 | 37 | 19 | 221 |
| 2023 | 53 | 26 | 710 |
| 2022 | 39 | 25 | 746 |
| 2021 | 43 | 25 | 374 |
Sources count differently and were observed at different times, so each source's own value is kept; "publisher" marks figures from the journal's website.
Review & acceptance
Review time and acceptance
- Submission to first decision
- 10 daysPublisher website ·
- Peer review
- Double anonymous peer reviewPublisher website
Community reports come from authors' own submissions (confidence 0.5) and are not a promise from the journal; for publisher figures, the journal's own definitions apply.
Fees & open access
APC and open-access policy
Hybrid open accessLetPub
A subscription journal in which authors can pay to publish their article open access.
| Source | APC | Fee waiver | License | Observed |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| OpenAlex | USD 4,290 / EUR 3,290 / GBP 2,890 | — | — |
A hybrid journal charges the APC only when the author chooses open access; publishing under the subscription model is usually free.
The journal's website is authoritative for fees; sources were observed at different times and each keeps its own value, without averaging.
Submission
Article types and submission policies (journal website)
What to prepare4 items from the author guidelines
- Abstract
- 150–250 words
- Reference style
- Numbered, in order of citation
- Suggested reviewers
- Optional
- Cover letter
- Required
Article types accepted14
- current opinionCurrent Opinion. Word count approximately up to 3000. Places an area in perspective given that it is of current international interest and a consensus has not y…Length not stated
- editorialInternal Review by Editorial Staff: The journal editor will perform an initial appraisal of each manuscript. When submitting your paper, please include a coveri…Length not stated
- editorial/commentaryEditorial/Commentary. Word count up to 1500. A brief opinion piece on a current topic of high interest.Length not stated
- leading articleLeading Article. Word count up to 4000. Provides a short, balanced overview of the current state of development of an emerging area.Length not stated
- letter to the editorLetter to the Editor. Word count up to 1000. Comment on an article published recently in the journal; a response to the comments would normally be sought from t…Length not stated
- opinionPlease note: There is no limit on the number of tables, figures or references that can accompany an article. Information that is relevant but not critical to un…Length not stated
- original researchPlease note: There is no limit on the number of tables, figures or references that can accompany an article. Information that is relevant but not critical to un…Length not stated
- perspectivePlease note: There is no limit on the number of tables, figures or references that can accompany an article. Information that is relevant but not critical to un…Length not stated
- research articlePlease note: There is no limit on the number of tables, figures or references that can accompany an article. Information that is relevant but not critical to un…Length not stated
- research letterResearch Letter: Word count up to 1500. A concise report of original research with up to 10 references and up to 2 tables or figures.Length not stated
- reviewPlease note: There is no limit on the number of tables, figures or references that can accompany an article. Information that is relevant but not critical to un…Length not stated
- review articlePlease note: There is no limit on the number of tables, figures or references that can accompany an article. Information that is relevant but not critical to un…Length not stated
- summary of research article (sra)Summary of Research Article (SRA): A standalone summary of a source article previously published in an Adis journal, or in a journal from another publisher.Length not stated
- systematic reviewPlease note: There is no limit on the number of tables, figures or references that can accompany an article. Information that is relevant but not critical to un…Length not stated
Policy excerpts from the journal's websiteAI use, Authorship, Conflicts of interest, Data availability, License & copyright, Open access, Trial registration / reporting guidelines
- AI use Generative AI Images
Please check Springer’s policy on generative AI images and make sure your work adheres to the principles described therein. Back to top
Source ↗Publisher website ·- Authorship Authorship Principles
These guidelines describe authorship principles and good authorship practices to which prospective authors should adhere to. Authorship clarified The Journal and Publisher assume all authors agreed with the content and that all gave explicit consent to submit and that they obtained consent from the responsible authorities at the institute/organization where the work has been carried out, before th…
Source ↗Publisher website ·- Conflicts of interest Disclosures and declarations
All authors are requested to include information regarding sources of funding, financial or non-financial interests, study-specific approval by the appropriate ethics committee for research involving humans and/or animals, informed consent if the research involved human participants, and a statement on welfare of animals if the research involved animals (as appropriate). The decision whether such …
Source ↗Publisher website ·- Data availability Data availability statements
Data availability statement required for all original research Model summary
All original research must include a data availability statement. This statement should explain how to access data supporting the results and analysis in the article, including links/citations to publicly archived datasets analysed or generated during the study. Please see our full policy here. If it is not possible to share research data publicly, for instance when individual privacy could be com…
Source ↗Publisher website ·- License & copyright Copyright and license term – CC BY-NC
Open Choice articles do not require transfer of copyright as the copyright remains with the author. In opting for open access, the author(s) agree to publish the article under the Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial 4.0 International License Find more about the license agreement Back to top
Source ↗Publisher website ·- Open access Open access publishing
Open Choice articles published under CC BY-NC 4.0 Model summary
To find out more about publishing your work Open Access in Pharmaceutical Medicine, including information on fees, funding and licences, visit our Open access publishing page. Back to top
Source ↗Publisher website ·- Trial registration / reporting guidelines Clinical Trial Registration
The World Health Organization (WHO) definition of a clinical trial is "any research study that prospectively assigns human participants or groups of humans to one or more health-related interventions to evaluate the effects on health outcomes". The WHO defines health interventions as “A health intervention is an act performed for, with or on behalf of a person or population whose purpose is to ass…
Source ↗Publisher website ·
Excerpts are quoted from the journal's website; "model summary" lines are written by Workers AI and checked against the text. The journal's website is authoritative.
Profile
Publication details and official links
- Publisher
- Springer Nature
- Frequency
- 6 issues per year
- ISSN
- 1178-2595
- Electronic ISSN
- 1179-1993
- Latest issue on the website
- Volume 40, Issue 5 (September 2026)
- Official links
- Journal homepage ↗OpenAlex
- Submission system ↗LetPub
- Author guidelines ↗LetPub
- Special issues ↗Publisher website
FAQ
Frequently asked questions about Pharmaceutical Medicine
What CAS zone is Pharmaceutical Medicine in?
In the 2025 upgraded edition of the CAS Journal Ranking, Pharmaceutical Medicine is in Zone 4 of Medicine, and in Zone 4 of the minor category Pharmacology & Pharmacy. In the 2026 Xinrui edition it is in Zone 3 of Medicine. Zones from different editions, and from major and minor categories, are not interchangeable.
What is the impact factor of Pharmaceutical Medicine?
The journal's website gives an impact factor of 4.7 (2025); this is the journal's own figure, as LetPub lists none for it; CiteScore 8.4, h-index 38.
How long does peer review take at Pharmaceutical Medicine?
The publisher reports about 10 days (submission to first decision); first decisions include desk rejections. Article statistics cover accepted papers only, publisher figures follow the journal's own definitions, and community reports come from authors' own submissions; none is a promise from the journal.
What are the manuscript requirements of Pharmaceutical Medicine?
According to the journal's author guidelines: Abstract: 150–250 words; Reference style: Numbered, in order of citation; Suggested reviewers: Optional; Cover letter: Required. A model extracted these from the author guidelines and each was checked against the text; check the latest version on the journal's website before submitting.
Where are the editorial board members of Pharmaceutical Medicine based?
Of the 47 board members whose country the journal's board page names, none are in mainland China; the countries named most often are New Zealand (11), United States (9) and United Kingdom (8). Counted from the institutions listed on the board page; for reference only.
Which databases index Pharmaceutical Medicine?
According to LetPub and DOAJ records, Pharmaceutical Medicine is indexed in ESCI and Scopus. The journal's website also lists MEDLINE, Embase and CAS; that list has not been checked against each database.
Is Pharmaceutical Medicine open access, and what is the APC?
Pharmaceutical Medicine is a hybrid journal. For open-access publication: APC about USD 4,290.
Sources and updates
The facts on this page come from LetPub, OpenAlex, Publisher website; every figure is tagged with its source and the date it was observed, and conflicting values are kept per source. LetPub source page: view ↗ (archived 2026-08-26). Last updated: .