Dictionary
the art and science of preparing and dispensing drugs and medicines, a retail shop where medicine and other articles are sold
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Wikipedia
otheruses ]] Pharmacy (from the Greek language Greek !''φάρμ^ 5;κον''? = drug) is the profession of compounding and dispensing medication. More recently, the term has come to include other services related to patient care including clinical practice, medication review, and drug information. Some of these new roles are now mandated by law in various legislatures. Pharmacists, therefore, are drug therapy experts and the primary health professionals who optimize medication management to produce positive health-outcomes.The symbols most commonly associated with pharmacy are the mortar and pestle and the ℞ (''Rxrecipere'') character. Pharmacy organisations often employ other elements such as the Bowl of Hygeia, conical measures, and caduceuses in their logos. Other symbols are common in different countries such as the green Greek cross in France and Great Britain, and the Gaper in The Netherlands.
Disciplines - The field of Pharmacy can generally be divided into three main disciplines:PharmaceuticsPharmaceutical chemistry (often Medicinal chemistry)Pharmacy practiceThe boundaries between these disciplines and indeed with other sciences, such as biochemistry, are not always clear-cut; and often collaborative teams from various disciplines research together.Pharmacology is sometimes considered a fourth discipline of pharmacy. Although pharmacology is essential to the study of pharmacy, it is not specific to pharmacy. Therefore it is usually considered to be a field of the broader sciences.
Pharmacists - ''Main article PharmacistPharmacists are highly-trained and skilled healthcare professionals who perform various roles to ensure optimal health outcomes for their patients. Pharmacists are also often small businesssmall-business owners, owning the pharmacy in which they practice. This unique dichotomy is often the subject of debate within the profession—in part due to the perception of pharmacists as "common shopkeepers" by many in the community.Pharmacists are represented internationally by the International Pharmaceutical Federation (FIP). They are represented at the national level by professional organisations such as the Royal Pharmaceutical Society of Great Britain (RPSGB), the Pharmaceutical Society of Australia (PSA) and American Pharmacists Association (APhA).
Separation of prescribing from dispensing - In most jurisdictions (such as the United States), pharmacists are regulated separately from physicians. That is, the legislation stipulates that the practice of prescribing must be separate from the practice of dispensing. These jurisdictions also usually specify that ''only'' pharmacists may supply scheduled pharmaceuticals to the public, and that pharmacists cannot form business partnerships with physicians or give them "kickback" payments.In the minority of jurisdictions (such as China), doctors are allowed to dispense drugs themselves and the practice of pharmacy is integrated with that of the physician.The reason for the majority rule is the high risk of a conflict of interest. Otherwise, the physician has a financial self-interest in "diagnosing" as many conditions as possible, and in exaggerating their seriousness, because he can then sell more medications to the patient. Such self-interest directly conflicts with the patient's interest in obtaining cost-effective medication.
Community Pharmacy - A pharmacy (commonly the chemist; or drugstore in the United StatesU.S.; or Apothecary, historically) is the place where most pharmacists practice the profession of pharmacy. It is community pharmacy where the dichotomy of the profession exists—health professionals who are also retailers.Community pharmacies usually consist of a retail storefront, with a dispensary where medications are stored and dispensed. The dispensary is subject to pharmacy legislation; with requirements for storage conditions, compulsory texts, equipment, ''etc.'', specified in legislation. Where it was once the case that pharmacists stayed within the dispensary compounded/dispensed medications; there has been an increasing trend towards the use of trained pharmacy technicians while the pharmacist spends more time communicating with patients.There is a requirement that all pharmacies must have a pharmacist on-duty at all times it is open. In many jurisdictions it is also a requirement that the owner of a pharmacy must be a registered pharmacist. This latter requirement has been revoked in many jurisdictions, such that many retailers (including grocery stores and mass merchandisers) now include a pharmacy as department of their store.
Hospital Pharmacy - In much the same way that hospital pharmacists have different roles to community pharmacists, hospital pharmacies have different roles to community pharmacies. Some pharmacists in hospital pharmacies may have more complex clinical medication management issues whereas pharmacists in community pharmacies often have more complex business and customer relations issues. Unlike community pharmacies, which are usually independently owned, hospital pharmacies can usually be found within the premises of the hospital. Hospital pharmacies usually stock a larger range of medications, including more specialized medications, than would be feasible in the community setting. Traditionally, hospital pharmacies have also prepared various injectable preparations such as saline, total parenteral nutrition (TPN), and other drug infusions; but there has been a trend to outsource these functions to specialised pharmaceutical companies.
The future of pharmacy - In the coming decades pharmacists will become more integral parts of the health care system. Rather than simply a dispenser of medication, pharmacists will be paid for their cognitive skills. This paradigm shift has already commenced in some countries, for instance pharmacists in Australia receive remuneration from the Government of AustraliaAustralian Government for conducting comprehensive Home Medicines Reviews. Many universities are altering their programs to increase emphasise in fields such as pharmacotherapeutics, clinical pharmacy, nuclear pharmacy, disease state management, etc.
See also - List of pharmacies
External links -
Professional Organisations - fip.org - International Pharmaceutical Federation (FIP) aphanet.org - American Pharmacists Association (APhA)ashp.org - American Society of Health-System Pharmacists (ASHP)psa.org.au - Pharmaceutical Society of Australia (PSA) psnz.org.nz - Pharmaceutical Society of New Zealand (PSNZ)guild.org.au - Pharmacy Guild of Australia (PGA)rpsgb.org.uk - Royal Pharmaceutical Society of Great Britain (RPSGB) shpa.org.au - Society of Hospital Pharmacists of Australia (SHPA)
Regulatory - nabp.net - National Association of Boards of Pharmacypbnsw.org.au - Pharmacy Board of New South Walespharmacybd.vic.gov.au - Pharmacy Board of Victoria (Australia)
History and traditions - ubka.uni-karlsruhe.de - Navigator History of Pharmacy Collection of internet ressources related to the history of pharmacy.? rpsgb.org.uk - RPSGB Museum Information Sheets Illustrated information sheets on objects in the history of pharmacy.home.swipnet.se - History of Pharmacy Web Pages Perbo´s History of Pharmacy Web Pages.
Other - pharmacist.com - Pharmacist.com Portal site for pharmacists and pharmacy students.pharmacy.org - The Virtual Library of Pharmacy Extensive index of pharmacy-related resources, including information on careers in pharmacy, pharmacy schools, pharmaceuticaul companies, associations and conferences.!affordable-prescriptions.md - Pharmacy News Pharmacy news and news in the pharmaceutical industrybiochemweb.org - Chemical Biology - The Virtual Library of Biochemistry and Cell Biology Resource devoted to drug discovery and chemical and pharmacological approaches to biology, biomedicine and biotechnology.anf.pt - Museu da Farmácia, Lisboa(Pharmacy Museum)auspharm.net.au - auspharm.net.au the portal for pharmacists practising in Australia, providing useful links, a discussion list, and feature articlesBranchesofChemistry Category:Pharmacy!*Category:Biochemistryca:Farm ciada:Apotekde:Pharmaziees:Fa rmaciaeo:Apotekoia:Pharmaciahu :Gyógyszerészetlt:Farmacinė ? !veiklaja:薬学ko:약학nds:Af theikennl:Apotheekno:Apotekpl: Aptekapt:Farmáciasl:Farmacija su:Farmasisv:Apotekth:เภ ัชกรรมzh:药学
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Websites
CEPCO Health Management Systems-english
Interactive Patient - MD Portal that checks automatically inconsistencies or incompatibilites of a patient's liefestyle- or medical data. Records all information in XML-codes that allow interfacing with MD, Hosptial, Laboratory, Radiology, but also with Fitness Studio or to hand-held medical device like pulse- and blood-presure meter, glucose-meter, and others.
http://www.cepco.net/
No Prescription Drugs
The comprehensive and safe online pharmacy - buy 100's of branded RX drugs fast - no prescription - no consultation fee
http://www.noprescriptiondrugs.com/
Pharmacy Online 4U
A leading online pharmacy specializing in difficult to obtain branded RX drugs and medicines - no prescription - no consultation fee
http://www.pharmacy-online-4u.com/
Discount-Canadian-Meds.com Canadian online pharmacy: Helping you save on prescription drug costs
Online Canadian mailorder pharmacy providing low-cost prescription medications internationally for over 4 years. Our wide range of pharmaceutical products includes maintenance meds, OTC items and oncological treatments.
http://www.discount-canadian-meds.com/
Prescription Drug Savings Advocate
Save up to 80% on brand and generic medications. No cost to enroll. No health questions and no age or income restrictions.
http://www.membersadvantage.net/
Welcome to G & L Enterprises
Digital Satellite Sales
http://www.gandlent.com/
Your Medicines Pharmacy
your-medicines.com - an online pharmacy supermarket supplying prescription RX medications
http://www.your-medicines.com/
USED REFURBISHED MEDICAL EQUIPMENT
Reliable supplier of used medical equipment in North America. Venus Medequip Inc is without a doubt your number one source for obtaining New and Used medical equipment at a very tempting price. All Our equipment have been Quality checked to meet the OEM specification!! We always carry huge inventory of equipment. Our services Includes but not limited to: De- Installation ( If Required), Generating technical documentations, Functional checks and Physical inspection, Issuance of Quality Certificate.We have technical resources and manpower available through out North America and certain part of Europe.Equipment shipped worldwide.
http://www.venus-technologies.com/
Gesundheitsregister
Gesundheitsregister is a usefull German database with short links to details of medical indications. The public area is open for everyone and the closed area for medical staff. More than 2300 websites of more than 100 leading pharmaceutical companies are listed. The database will be updated continuously. Come and check!
http://www.gesundheitsregister.de
Healthsurf
Selected healthcare links
http://www.healthsurf.com/
Van Mil Consultancy
Small company for consultation and research activities in the field of community pharmacy practice and pharmaceutical care
http://www.vanmilconsult.nl/
www.mallatts.com
Mallatts has provided Theatrical Makeup and Accessories for over sixty years to theatre and school groups throughout Wisconsin.Our selection is larger than it has ever been as we now bring our products to to you on line.
http://www.mallatts.com/
Frisco RX
Frisco RX is your Online Pharmaceutical Store. Better than your local pharmacy. It’s fast, convenient, secure, and private. We offer low cost prescription drug, free consultations, fast delivery options, discreet & confidential packaging, U.S. licensed Physicians & Pharmacists, and FDA approved pharmaceuticals.
http://www.friscorx.com/
Medicine Chest Online
A searchable database of over-the-counter medicines and food supplements to help consumers find suitable products to treat minor ailments.
http://www.medicinechestonline.com/
CVS Pharmacy
Online version of the retail chain. Prescriptions, health, personal care, and gift items available online. Also provides health news and information from WebMD.
http://www.cvs.com
PharmWeb
Pharmacy information: conferences/meetings, world wide pharmacy colleges/departments/schools, the PharmWeb discussion forum, PharmWeb chat, patient information, PharmWeb directory.
http://www.pharmweb.net
American Association of Colleges of Pharmacy (AACP)
National organization representing the interests of pharmaceutical education and educators.
http://www.aacp.org/
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