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

Some of this complexity is due to middlemen called pharmacy benefit managers, or PBMs. —Dr. Sejal Parekh, ABC News, 29 Oct. 2024

The suspect never left the small town, working at a local CVS pharmacy until he was arrested. —Zoe Sottile, CNN, 28 Oct. 2024

News Of The Week One of the most powerful women in business has left her position: CVS Health Chief Executive Officer Karen Lynch has stepped down as the top executive and will be replaced by David Joyner, who has been in charge of the company’s Caremark pharmacy benefit firm, CVS said on Friday. —Maggie McGrath, Forbes, 25 Oct. 2024

Prime manages pharmacy benefits for about 38 million people and is owned by 19 U.S. Blue Cross and Blue Shield health insurance plans. —Bruce Gil, Quartz, 25 Oct. 2024

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