i noticed a chemist's shop is slowly being called a pharmacy
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Pharmacists are healthcare professionals who work with medicines and provide them to patients with a medical prescription. Learn more about what pharmacists do, their education, when to see them, and what to expect during your visit.
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Interesting. Over here, what you might call a chemist's shop does not exist, it will be a pharmacie and the distinction is very firm. Supermarkets and some shops will sell what could be called beauty products, such as hair and non medical skin care, vitamin pills, plasters and such. They may set up areas that look like a UK chemists to do this. They will not by law sell aspirin, paracetamol or anything that might be considered a 'cure'. No cheap Tesco branded packets of aspirin here. Big supermarkets may set up a pharmacie, but it will be a shop within a shop, with its own staff.
A pharmacie will sell all that plus medications to prescription and over the counter (OTC) drugs. Similar to the pharmacy department in a UK chemists shop, but nothing medical is allowed to 'leak' into the general part of the store. A pharmacist can produce a new prescription, not just a repeat, can modify a doctor's prescription, particularly to use a generic drug, (obligatory, a doctor has to specifically request a brand), and will normally query your purchase of OTC drugs, even paracetamol, to ensure you are getting the most appropriate thing, and advise accordingly. They are considered as 'first level' doctors, something I think is happening in the UK, and can deal with things like rashes, minor scrapes and odd twinges, even if this requires a prescription drug. They also know when to point you straight at the doctors surgery.
Because health is centrally managed, anything a pharmacist supplies by producing a prescription will be known to your doctor on your next visit. Pharmacists can also see your medication history when they advise you.
You may also have heard that they are trained in mushroom recognition. True.
Andrew.