Pharmacy is the profession of pharmacists and the science of pharmacy, which investigates drugs, their properties, drug composition, and related matters. It is a healthcare profession that links health sciences with chemical sciences and is responsible for ensuring the safe use and effectiveness of pharmaceuticals. The word “pharmacy” is derived from the Greek word φάρμακον (pharmakon), meaning “drug” or “medicine”. The pharmacy profession includes various traditional roles such as drug formulation and dispensing, as well as providing increasingly modern healthcare services including clinical services, drug reviews, drug safety and effectiveness reviews, and drug information provision. Pharmacists are experts in drug therapy and primary healthcare professionals who determine the optimal drug use to provide positive health outcomes for patients. Pharmacies are the places where pharmacists practice their profession, including pharmacies, chemist’s shops, or drugstores. In the United States, Canada, and Arab countries, drugstores not only sell medications but also a variety of goods such as candy, cosmetics, magazines, and even light snacks. The term “pharmacy” is derived from the root word “pharmacy”, a term used between the 15th and 17th centuries. In addition to the responsibilities of pharmacists, they provide general medical advice and a range of services that are currently only carried out by specialized practitioners, such as surgery and midwifery. Pharmacies often operate through retail stores, in addition to pharmaceuticals, tobacco, and medical patents. Herbal therapy is also used.
When it comes to the symbol of the snake, it is because many medicines are derived from toxins. The pestle and mortar symbol is an international symbol for the pharmacy profession as it is used for grinding and mixing chemicals used in drug manufacturing.
The field of pharmacy can be divided into three main branches: Pharmaceutical Sciences and Drug Manufacturing, Pharmaceutical Chemistry and Pharmaceuticals, and Pharmaceutical Practice and Clinical Pharmacy. Sometimes, Pharmacology is considered as the fourth fundamental science of pharmacy.
The boundaries between these specialties and other sciences like biochemistry are not always clear, often leading to overlaps in specialties alongside collaborative research efforts across various fields.
Professionals
The World Health Organization estimates that there are at least 2,600,000 pharmacists working in pharmacies and other pharmaceutical specialties worldwide.
Pharmacists
Pharmacists are health care professionals, trainees, and specialists who perform various roles to ensure better health outcomes for patients through the proper use of medications. Some pharmacists are business owners, owning pharmacies to practice their profession. Since pharmacists have known in detail about the chemical composition of drugs, their mode of action, metabolism, and physiological effects on the human body, they play a significant role in improving patient treatment.
Pharmacists are represented internationally by the International Pharmaceutical Federation (FIP). They are represented at the national level by professional organizations in the United Kingdom, the Pharmaceutical Society of Australia (PGA), the American Pharmacists Association (APhA), and the Pakistan Pharmacists Society (PPS). In some cases, the representative body is responsible for regulating the profession and its ethics.
In the United States, pharmacy professions are classified by the Board of Pharmaceutical Specialties into the following categories: Cardiology, Infectious Diseases and Oncology, Pharmacotherapy and Nuclear Pharmacy, Nutrition, and Psychiatric Pharmacy. Pharmacists may sit for the American Board of Toxicology, along with other medical professions.
Pharmacy Technician
This individual supports the work of pharmacists and medical staff by carrying out a range of pharmacy-related duties such as dispensing medications and guiding patients on their proper use. Pharmacy technicians may also undertake some administrative duties such as reviewing medication orders and prescriptions with the physician’s office, and liaising with companies to ensure the correct drugs are delivered and that companies receive their dues.
History of Pharmacy
Pharmacy is one of the oldest sciences discovered, with the roots of pharmaceutical science tracing back to the early thirteenth century. Pharmacy did not cover all aspects initially but was merely the beginning of a new field. Pharmacy emerged as a wide independent science, with historical evolution from ancient times to the present day that aligns naturally with this science (pharmacy), always closely linked to medicines.
Different Fields of Pharmacy
Pharmacists can work in various fields and locations such as hospitals, clinics, nursing centers, mental health facilities, as well as opportunities to work in regulatory and legal bodies. Pharmacists can specialize in different medical fields such as oncology, infectious diseases, nutrition, critical care, and many other diverse areas.
Community Pharmacy
The pharmacy is where many pharmacists practice their profession. It consists of a sales counter for dispensing medications, along with storage areas for proper drug storage. It is worth mentioning that the first pharmacy was established by a Muslim pharmacist in Baghdad in 754. Initially, pharmacists were responsible for preparing, dispensing, and compounding medications, but currently, pharmacy technicians often handle these tasks to allow pharmacists more time to interact with patients. A requirement for pharmacies is to have a licensed pharmacist present during service hours. The pharmacy owner must primarily be a licensed pharmacist, although this is not always the case in some commercial centers that sell certain medications. Nowadays, pharmacy services extend beyond just selling medications to include beauty products, shampoos, confectionery, some medical equipment, children’s products, and more.
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