Pharmacy Savings

The term “pharmacy” comes from the Greek and refers to the profession of compounding and dispensing medication.

More recently a pharmacy deals with the larger scope of patient care including clinical practice, medication review, drug information, etc.   The pharmacist is now often the primary point of care with the management of medications.

Before the mass production of medications, compounding pharmacists were the norm, having their roots in ancient hunter gatherer societies.  Compounding refers to the mixing of drugs to meet the unique needs of the patient.  The earliest compounding pharmacists were familiar with various natural substances and their uses. These drug artisans compounded a variety of preparations such as medications, dyes, incense, perfumes, ceremonial compounds, preservatives and cosmetics.

Pharmacists now, in the main, source their drugs from pharmaceutical companies.  These companies produce brand name medications for mass markets.  Often these medications are expensive and generic medications are now also available.  Generic drugs are copies of brand-name drugs that have exactly the same dosage, intended use, effects, side effects, means of administration, risks, safety, and strength as the original drug.  Generic medications are substantially cheaper than their brand-name counterparts, and the Australian Therapeutic Goods Administration require that they be as safe and effective as brand-name drugs.