pharmacist

IPA/ˈfɑːməsɪst/
KK[fˈɑrməsɪst]IPA/ˈfɑːrməsɪst/

pharmacist — noun

  • pharmacistsingular
  • pharmacistsplural

1. a trained health worker who prepares medicine, checks it, and gives it to people

1.nounB2
Definition

a trained health worker who prepares medicine, checks it, and gives it to people safely.

Example

The pharmacist checked Mia's prescription before giving her the tablets.

check a prescription before giving medicine

At the hospital, a pharmacist explained when Grandpa should take each pill.

pharmacist gives advice about medicine use

Common collocations
  • hospital pharmacist
  • community pharmacist
  • licensed pharmacist
  • consult a pharmacist
  • pharmacist advice
Synonyms
  • chemist

    common in British English; can mean the pharmacist or the pharmacy shop

  • druggist

    mainly American and less common in modern everyday use

  • apothecary

    historical or literary, not the usual modern term

Grammar Patterns

ask a pharmacist

work as a pharmacist

pharmacist at + hospital/store

Usage Note

Often used for the licensed person who checks prescriptions and advises people on safe medicine use. In British English, learners may also see 'chemist' for this person or for the shop, but in American English the person is the pharmacist.

Common Mistakes

The doctor at the drugstore gave me my tablets.
The pharmacist at the drugstore gave me my tablets.
the pharmacist prepares and gives out the medicine; the doctor usually writes the prescription.
The pharmacist wrote me this prescription.
The doctor wrote this prescription, and the pharmacist filled it.
doctors write prescriptions, while pharmacists prepare and supply the medicine.

Word family

Synonym discussion

Sense: noun/1

Pharmacist is the standard modern word for a trained professional who prepares medicine, checks prescriptions, and advises people about safe use. Chemist is common in British English, but it can also refer to the shop, so the meaning depends on context. Druggist is mostly American and sounds older or less usual in present-day speech. Apothecary is historical or literary, so learners will meet it in books, period dramas, or shop names rather than in normal hospital talk. For modern everyday use, say 'Ask the pharmacist about this cough medicine.' In British English, you may also hear 'I picked it up from the chemist.'

pharmacist ↗chemist ↗druggist ↗apothecary

Common collocations

Nouns

  • hospital pharmacist
  • community pharmacist
  • licensed pharmacist

Phrases

  • ask a pharmacist
  • work as a pharmacist

Prepositions

  • pharmacist at + hospital/store
  • pharmacist for + clinic/team

Etymology

GreekLatinFrenchEnglish

Pharmacist was formed in English from pharmacy plus the ending -ist, which names a person connected with a job or field. The older base pharmacy goes back through French and Latin to Greek pharmakon, a word used for a drug or medicine.