pharmacy

Introduction
History of pharmacy
The practice of pharmacy
- Education
- Licensing and regulation
- Research
Organizations

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A pharmacist in a white coat holds a paper list while searching shelves filled with medication boxes behind the pharmacy counter.

At a Glance

pharmacy summary

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External Websites

Texas Tech University Health Sciences Center - The History of Pharmacy
National Center for Biotechnology Information - PubMed Central - The changing face of pharmacy practice and the need for a new model of pharmacy education

Britannica Websites

Articles from Britannica Encyclopedias for elementary and high school students.

pharmacy - Student Encyclopedia (Ages 11 and up)

pharmacist Pharmacist preparing medicine.

pharmacy

medicine

Written by

John C. Krantz

Professor of Pharmacology, University of Maryland, Baltimore, 1935–65. Coauthor of Pharmacologic Principles of Medical Practice.

John C. KrantzAll

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Britannica Editors

Encyclopaedia Britannica's editors oversee subject areas in which they have extensive knowledge, whether from years of experience gained by working on that content or via study for an advanced degree....

Britannica Editors

Last updated

Oct. 1, 2026 •History

pharmacy, the science and art concerned with the preparation and standardization of drugs. Its scope includes the cultivation of plants that are used as drugs, the synthesis of chemical compounds of medicinal value, and the analysis of medicinal agents. Pharmacists are responsible for the preparation of the dosage forms of drugs, such as tablets, capsules, and sterile solutions for injection. They compound physicians’, dentists’, and veterinarians’ prescriptions for drugs. The science that embraces knowledge of...

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