pharmacy

noun phar·ma·cy \ ˈfär-mə-sē \

|Updated on: 14 Aug 2018

Examples: pharmacy in a Sentence

Definition of pharmacy

plural pharmacies

1 : the art, practice, or profession of preparing, preserving, compounding, and dispensing medical drugs

2 a : a place where medicines are compounded or dispensed

b : drugstore

3 : pharmacopoeia 2

See pharmacy defined for English-language learners

See pharmacy defined for kids

Examples of pharmacy in a Sentence

There's a pharmacy in our grocery store now.
She's studying pharmacy at the university.

Recent Examples of pharmacy from the Web

Following the setting of a list price, drug companies engage in a complicated dance with pharmacy benefits managers (PBMs) and insurance companies.

— sy mukherjee, Fortune, "3 Key Lessons From Trump's Drug Price Feud With Pfizer," 11 July 2018
At the minimum, Meier said the state is considering eliminating dental, vision and pharmacy benefits for about 480,000 people added under the expansion.

— deborah yetter, The Courier-Journal, "Federal judge strikes down Matt Bevin's Medicaid work requirements," 29 June 2018
Patients could see those savings at the pharmacy counter.

— robert pear, BostonGlobe.com, "Plan to cut drug prices drops populist designs," 12 May 2018
Meanwhile Americans are paying more at the pharmacy counter due to health insurance plans that require them to shoulder more of their prescription costs.

— CBS News, "Trump's plan to bring down drug prices takes small steps," 12 May 2018
Meanwhile Americans are paying more at the pharmacy counter due to health insurance plans that require them to shoulder more of their prescription costs.

— matthew perrone and jill colvin, chicagotribune.com, "Trump's plan to reduce drug prices doesn't include campaign pledge to allow Medicare to negotiate prices," 11 May 2018
According to the Oconomowoc Police Department, one man distracted the pharmacist while the other jumped the pharmacy counter and grabbed the bottles.

— steven martinez, Milwaukee Journal Sentinel, "Oconomowoc police are searching for two men who stole drugs from a Walgreen's pharmacy," 24 Apr. 2018
Alison McAvoy, a Walgreens pharmacist in Northeast Portland, says consumers simply have to ask for the medicine at a pharmacy counter.

— bloomberg news, OregonLive.com, "Surgeon general urges Americans to carry antidote for opioid overdose," 5 Apr. 2018
The acquisition will give the company approximately 4,900 locations with 4,350 pharmacy counters and 320 clinics.

— leada gore, AL.com, "Albertson's buys remaining Rite-Aids," 20 Feb. 2018

These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'pharmacy.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.

Origin and Etymology of pharmacy

Late Latin pharmacia administration of drugs, from Greek pharmakeia, from pharmakeuein to administer drugs, from pharmakon magic charm, poison, drug

NEW! Time Traveler

First Known Use: 1651

in the meaning defined at sense 1

See Words from the same year