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Text b a community pharmacy

A pharmacy is a place where medicines are compounded or dispensed. In the UK, the term a сhemist’s (shop) is more commonly used. In the USA, there are many drugstores, which are small or average-sized retail shops in a town center, where medicines and miscellaneous articles (such as candy, cosmetics, and usually refreshments) are sold, while in Europe a drugstore is a place where medicines are sold, but no compounding or dispensing is done.

In an average community pharmacy, there is usually a large hall for the customers where non-prescription drugs, parapharmaceuticals, home diagnostic aids, and some medical devices and appliances, as well as cosmetic products are displayed in aisle counters. There is a self-service form of catering there, with payments made at a check-out counter.

Non-prescription drugs are commonly called over-the-counter (OTC) drugs because they may be bougt without a prescription. They are generally regarded as safe for the customers to use by following the required label directions and warnings. Several consultant pharmacists, ready to guide the customers and to offer advice, cater for the customers in the OTC department.

Prescription drugs may be dispensed to customers only by a registered pharmacist. Usually, the procedure of filling a prescription is as follows:

• the patient presents the prescription to a pharmacist or technician;

• the technician enters standard information into computer software;

• if no therapeutic concerns are raised, the technician proceeds to fill the prescription;

• the pharmacist councels the patient on prescription while the technician is completing the dispensing process;

• the prescription is checked by the pharmacist when the dispensing process is completed by the technician;

• the technician concludes prescription processing by completing the billing procedures concerning cash, charge, insurance billing, etc;

• if therapeutic concerns are raised, the prescriber is contacted, and the problem is jointly resolved.

A pharmacy must be licensed for drug compounding. For compounding prescriptions, a community pharmacy must have proper equipment. A minimum list of equipment required for licensing by the state boards of pharmacy in the USA includes:

1. Class A prescription balance and/ or electronic balance.

2. Hot plate.

3. Magnetic stirrers.

4. Electric mixers.

5. Special containers for packaging.

6. Graduated cylinders from 10 to 1000 ml.

7. Glass, Wedgwood, and porcelain mortars and pestles.

8. Funnels of various sizes.

9. Weighing and filter paper.

10. Spatulas of various sizes including plastic spatulas.

11. Ointment / Pill tile.

12. Capsule filling machine.

13. Ointment filling machine.

14. Autoclave.

15. Laminar flow clean bench.

16. Special suppository molds.

17. Stirring rods (glass).

18. Record-keeping system (compounding log book).

19. Glass beakers from 50 to 1000 ml.

Many pharmacies actively involved in compounding have allotted a separate area in the pharmacy to this process. An ideal location is away from heavy foot traffic and near a sink where there is enough space to work and to store all the chemicals and equipment. For compounding of sterile products a laminar air flow hood and a clean room are current practice.

Extemporaneous compounding by the pharmacist or a prescription order from a licensed pharmacist, as well as dispensing of any prescription drug, is controlled by the state boards of pharmacy. A pharmacist must ensure that the correct drug, dose and directions for drug administration are provided to the patient, and the patient is properly instructed regarding proper storage of the drug, and its adverse effects.

Pharmacists obtain small quantities of the appropriate chemicals or drugs from wholesalers. A wholesale distributor of prescription drugs must be licensed by the authorities of the region where it does business.