January 12, 2022 is National Pharmacist Day, a day to celebrate this important role in medicine and the positive impact these professionals make in everyone’s lives. You are probably familiar with the pharmacy at your local grocery or drug store—and the majority of pharmacists and pharmacy technicians work at one. However, there are other types of pharmacies that hire these professionals, too. Here are five types of pharmacies that also create and distribute medication.
- Hospital Pharmacy
Hospital pharmacies provide drugs for patients who are getting inpatient and outpatient services in the facility. Pharmacy professionals in this setting collaborate directly with other medical professionals, like the physicians and nurses who administer the medication to the patients. Hospital pharmacists may specialize in a specific area like critical or cardiac care or oncology. - Clinic Pharmacy
Just like a hospital pharmacy is within a hospital, a clinic pharmacy is found inside a medical clinic. Patients who receive prescriptions during their appointments can opt to get it filled at the clinic pharmacy, instead of going to a drug store. Since the pharmacy is located inside the clinic, the pharmacist and pharmacy technician have closer contact with the physician if any questions arise. And, since some clinics specialize, the pharmacy staff may develop an expertise in specific types of treatments. - Research Pharmacy
Research pharmacies can be found at pharmaceutical manufacturing facilities and other research locations, like universities. This type of work involves researching and producing new drugs in a laboratory setting. New medications are often put through complex and intensive trials and research pharmacy professionals will closely monitor the experiments and their results. - Regulatory Pharmacy
A regulatory pharmacy makes sure medications meet stringent rules and regulations. This type of facility tests drugs and makes sure they’re safe for the public. Also called a government pharmacy, regulatory pharmacies are often part of public health organizations and regulatory health boards. - Compounding and Infusion Pharmacy
Some drugs need to be specially formulated for the specific patient. This practice of customizing medicine for an individual’s use is known as compounding. In this case, pharmacy technicians and pharmacists prepare the drug for the patient, changing the strength, adding or removing ingredients, or altering the delivery form. An infusion pharmacy involves creating medicines that may be delivered intravenously, through a feeding tube, epidural, or subcutaneously.
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