The Greek word pharmakon is the origin of pharmacy, which means remedy. Even in Latin, “Pharmacia” means “to heal”. It involves everything related to healing and remedies. It is now a science that connects medical science with chemistry; hence it is called Clinical Health Science. The science of pharmacy deals with everything to do with medicines (remedy). From production to safe disposal, from discovery to safe and effective use. People who practice pharmacy need to have expert knowledge of the chemicals and their mechanisms. They need to understand the drugs and their toxicity, their actions, and reactions.
Pharmacy is a vast field and has three major disciplines. It can be categorized as
- Pharmacy; an apothecary
- Pharmacy; a place
- Pharmacy; a practice
- Pharmacy; an apothecary:
A pharmacy is a complete study, and one has to be completely qualified to pursue a career in pharmacy. Pharmacist’s job is not just limited to understanding the working of the drugs and chemicals; it also involves finding the correct drugs for medical purposes. This field is further divided into two fields. A Pharmacist is someone who works with the existing drugs. He is responsible for making sure if the correct drug leaves the pharmacy, the place where a pharmacist practices.
And then, there is the pharmacist that does the actual research on the drugs and their chemical reactions. This is called the study of pharmacy, where the concerned people experiment with the existing drugs. This field of study requires extreme caution and precise experiments as these people deal with sensitive cures for other humans. The research carried out in this field is extremely sensitive because it involves the toxicity levels of various drugs and the reactions of mixing them up.
Pharmacy; a place
Common ground is to sell drugs and other medicines for medical relief. This place does not refer to a doctor or an apothecary; it simply sells all types of medicines—a one-stop-shop for all your medical needs. A doctor diagnosis your problem; he identifies the types of drugs that should heal you, and a pharmacist prepares that drug, and it is sold at the pharmacy.
Pharmacy; a practice
If doctors are important to diagnose the cure for a patient, it is equally important to have pharmacists who will prepare a medicine/ drug to cure the illness diagnosed. In the current times of international medicines, the research is openly shared for better development of medicines, and it has become a significant practice.
Conclusion
Pharmacy is an important field in the current world. It is separate from the world of doctors but is not all that far away from them. The doctors and the pharmacists need to work together to develop a lucrative cure and hence an applicable medicine. One is incomplete without the other. Pharmacy is an important study in the medical world. The role of the pharmacist and doctors in our society is almost the same. Both of them are responsible for taking care of public health through different means. We can surely hope for the best!