Here's a comprehensive summary of the Wikipedia article on Pharmacy:
Pharmacy is a multifaceted health science and practice dedicated to ensuring the safe, effective, and affordable use of medications, bridging health, pharmaceutical, and natural sciences. Pharmacists, as specialized healthcare professionals, are experts in drug therapy who discover, produce, prepare, dispense, and meticulously monitor medicines. Their practice has evolved from traditional roles like compounding to modern clinical services, including patient counseling, medication reviews, and in some regions like Canada, even prescribing and administering immunizations.
The field integrates diverse disciplines such as pharmaceutics, medicinal chemistry, pharmacology, and pharmacogenomics to optimize patient care and drug development. While pharmacies (or chemists, in the UK) commonly dispense medicines, many also offer miscellaneous items. Globally, millions of pharmacists are crucial in ensuring optimal health outcomes by managing medication use effectively.