pharmacy

noun

phar·​ma·​cy ˈfär-mə-sē 

plural pharmacies

1

: the art, practice, or profession of preparing, preserving, compounding, and dispensing medical drugs

2

a

: a place where medicines are compounded or dispensed

b

: drugstore

3

: pharmacopoeia sense 2

Synonyms

• apothecary
• drugstore

Examples of pharmacy in a Sentence

There's a pharmacy in our grocery store now.

She's studying pharmacy at the university.

Recent Examples on the Web

Oz also faced questions about the role of drug pricing middlemen called pharmacy benefit managers. —Ken Alltucker, USA TODAY, 14 Mar. 2025

Cigna, which sells health insurance and operates one of the nation’s largest pharmacy benefit management (PBM) companies, has been struggling like other health insurers to control costs amid an influx of patients seeking medical treatment. —Bruce Japsen, Forbes, 13 Mar. 2025

About 29 million doses had been administered to adults in the 2024-25 season in retail pharmacies and doctors' offices through Feb. 8, based on federal data. —Stephanie Armour | Kff Health News, ABC News, 8 Mar. 2025

On Wall Street, Walgreens Boots Alliance climbed 7.5% after the pharmacy and drugstore chain agreed to be acquired by private equity firm Sycamore Partners. —Stan Choe, Los Angeles Times, 7 Mar. 2025

Word History

Etymology

Late Latin pharmacia administration of drugs, from Greek pharmakeia, from pharmakeuein to administer drugs, from pharmakon magic charm, poison, drug

First Known Use

1651, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Kids Definition

pharmacy

noun

phar·​ma·​cy ˈfär-mə-sē 

plural pharmacies

1

: the art, practice, or profession of preparing drugs according to a doctor's prescription

2

a

: a place where medicines are made or distributed

b

: drugstore

Medical Definition

pharmacy

noun

phar·​ma·​cy ˈfär-mə-sē 

plural pharmacies

1

: the art, practice, or profession of preparing, preserving, compounding, and dispensing medical drugs

2

a

: a place where medicines are compounded or dispensed

a hospital pharmacy

b

: drugstore

3

: pharmacopoeia sense 2