Terminology

Community pharmacy in developed countries is evolving in various ways . The following list of terms of old and new forms of community pharmacies is an attempt to standardise the most common types discussed herein .

Chain drugstores or multiple pharmacies refer to four or more registered pharmacies which are owned or controlled by a single board or structure comprising pharmacists or/and non-pharmacists . Individual pharmacies are managed by registered pharmacists (eg Walgreens, Eckerds, Rite Aid and CVS in the USA, Lloyds and Boots in the UK and Friendlies in Australia).
Franchise chain pharmacies refer to pharmacy premises less than 200 square metres operated by independent pharmacists under a corporate name and structure according to a franchise format. Medicine Shoppe and Medicap pharmacies are the main examples in the USA.
Independent pharmacies pharmacies which whose registrations are owned by a single pharmacist or partnership of pharmacists.
The pharmacist owners usually control the lease or ownership, appearance and all features of the premises, the composition of products, the procedures and the performance of services or activities carried out in the pharmacies.
Internet pharmacy where a pharmacist ideally provides medicines and devices through the internet in a manner which safeguards the privacy and confidentiality of the patient, delivers the correct product with appropriate information to the patient and promotes safe, correct and appropriate use of medicines ( Sansom, AFPH, 2002).
An outstanding example of internet pharmacy practice is the provision of prescription medicines by Canadian pharmacies near the US-Canadian border where sales by Canadian internet pharmacies were estimated at almost Can$1 billion annually (Vivian, 2003). US and Canadian national bodies of pharmacy jointly condemned the practice in May 2003 because of the increased risk of adverse effects and less likelihood of achieving optimum effectiveness due to lack of face-to-face contact between pharmacist and consumer patient and no counselling .
Mail order or distance dispensing pharmacies the process where a pharmacist receives and dispenses verified prescriptions and the medication is delivered by mail (Sansom, APFH, 2002).
Mass merchandisers refer to stores larger than 1000 square metres usually located in urban retail areas or in shopping centres in Australia with more than 40 speciality stores and usually serving a population exceeding 10,000 (eg Wal Mart and K Mart in the USA, Tesco and Sainsbury in the UK, Big W and Kmart in Australia).
They sell mainly food and non-food products openly displayed within the premises and purchases of these products are made at cash registers located near the exits .
Department stores refer to stores larger than 2000 square metres usually located in city or town centres or shopping centres in Australia with more than 70 speciality stores and usually serving a population exceeding 50,000 (eg Bloomingdale's and Macy's in the USA, Harrod's and Selfridge's in the UK, David Jones, Myer, Grace Brothers and Target in Australia).
They are divided into departments or sections each of which sells particular goods (eg men's or women's clothing, hardware, cosmetics) and the purchases of these goods are made at departmental cash registers.
Supermarkets refer to retail premises larger than 500 square metres usually located in shopping centres with 10 or more speciality stores and usually serving a population exceeding 1,000 .
They sell mainly groceries or packaged foods and with varying emphasis on unpackaged fresh and frozen foods such as fruit, vegetables, fish and meats ( eg Woolworths and Coles in Australia, Safeway in the UK and Giant Food, Albertsons, A&P, HEB Food Stores and Marsh in the USA which commonaly have areas of 1500 to 10000 square metres ).
Other products (eg fuel) may be sold externally at discounted prices in order to attract or retain supermarket customers (eg Woolworths and Coles in Australia ).
Larger supermarket premises may have sections which provide speciality products or services such as bakeries , processing photographs or pharmacies in the USA and UK.
Warehouse chain pharmacies refer to a type of chain pharmacy located in a warehouse of at least 1000 square metres with mainly non-food goods including electronic, whitegoods, clothing, and other goods which are sold in large quantities to clients with membership cards.
The three dominant warehouse pharmacies in the USA are Costco, Sams Wholesale Club and BJ's.

References available on request or check here
31 Oct 2003.
Con Berbatis

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