Overview Pharmacy is a health profession that deals with various aspects of drug production, dispensing and administration to ensure the safe and effective use of drugs in humans and animals. Pharmacists prepare and dispense prescribed medications and their contraindications. They also advise patients about the use of both prescribed and over-the-counter drugs. The scope of Pharmacy practice is wide ranging from traditional roles such as compounding and dispensing medications to more modern services related to health care, including clinical services, reviewing medications for safety and efficacy, and providing drug information. Pharmacists communicate directly with physicians to correctly deliver medications. Pharmacists also counsel patients on over the counter medications and provide information on home health care supplies and various other health care products. Areas of specialization of pharmacy include psychiatry, intravenous nutrition support, oncology, geriatrics, diabetes, fertility, HIV, psychiatry, nuclear pharmacy, compounding of specialty medications, pharmacotherapy, regulatory pharmacy and industrial pharmacy. Areas of specialization of pharmacy include psychiatry, intravenous nutrition support, oncology, geriatrics, diabetes, fertility, HIV, psychiatry, nuclear medicine, compounding of specialty medications, and pharmacotherapy,regulatory pharmacy and Industrial pharmacy.