noun
pharmacy
FAH-muh-see
noun
1
A shop or department where prescription medicines are prepared and sold.
"I need to stop by the pharmacy to pick up my prescription."
"The hospital pharmacy is open around the clock."
2
The science and practice of preparing, dispensing, and understanding medicinal drugs.
"She is studying pharmacy at university."
How to Use Pharmacy
Learner’s notesIn plain EnglishEither the shop where you get medicine, or the subject of studying how drugs work and are prepared.
UK vs US
British English often says "chemist's" for the shop; American English almost always says "pharmacy" or "drugstore."
Common pairings
local pharmacy
study pharmacy
pharmacy degree
Word Forms
pharmacies plural
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I need to stop by the _____ to pick up my prescription.
Etymology
From Old French pharmacie, based on Greek pharmakeia ("use of drugs"), from pharmakon ("drug, remedy, or poison").