# independent pharmacies in the US



## meijin

Hi, if I went to an independent pharmacy in the US (a store that sells both prescription and non-prescription medicines, as well as a few other things such as cosmetics but not also snack foods, household products, stationery, magazines, etc. which would be found in "drugstores") and asked "Where's the pharmacy?" at the entrance, would I be told "You're already in the pharmacy"? In other words, should I ask "Where's the prescriptions counter?"


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## bwac14

You could say: "Where is the pharmacy counter?"

Though at least in the US and Canada, a place where there is a pharmacy as well as other things sold is called a _drugstore_. So if you were in a drugstore, they would have no problem understanding what you mean if you asked: "Where is the pharmacy?"


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## The Newt

You could also ask "where's the pharmacy counter?" In any case, I don't think we would tell you that you were already in the pharmacy; we would understand what you wanted.


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## Myridon

You would be in a drug store asking for the pharmacy.  There wouldn't be a problem. 
"Prescriptions counter" is not idiomatic.


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## meijin

Thanks all. Aren't there areas in the US that (still?) have stores called pharmacies that are smaller than, and sell fewer kinds of non-pharmaceutical products, than drugstores? I thought there were, and thought it would be odd to say "the pharmacy counter" when I'm at a pharmacy.


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## The Newt

meijin said:


> Thanks all. Aren't there areas in the US that (still?) have stores called pharmacies that are smaller than, and sell fewer kinds of non-pharmaceutical products, than drugstores? I thought there were, and thought it would be odd to say "the pharmacy counter" when I'm at a pharmacy.



A larger store (a Walmart, perhaps) can have a pharmacy in it, but for a stand-alone store we don't really distinguish between "pharmacy" and "drugstore" (at least where I live).


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## Myridon

meijin said:


> Thanks all. Aren't there areas in the US that (still?) have stores called pharmacies that are smaller than, and sell fewer kinds of non-pharmaceutical products, than drugstores? I thought there were, and thought it would be odd to say "the pharmacy counter" when I'm at a pharmacy.


Those smaller stores were called drug stores even 50 years ago.


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## kentix

We do have those here but I've never been in one so I don't know what is standard.


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## meijin

The Newt said:


> A larger store (a Walmart, perhaps) can have a pharmacy in it, but for a stand-alone store we don't really distinguish between "pharmacy" and "drugstore" (at least where I live).


But a drugstore also has a pharmacy in it, doesn't it? And if one can call such a store either a "drugstore" or "pharmacy"...

_You: I have to go to the pharmacy later. Do you know what time it closes?
Friend: Do you mean the store itself or the counter?_




Myridon said:


> Those smaller stores were always called drug stores.


Do some of those smaller stores have the word "pharmacy" in their name? I'm wondering if you call even a store that is named "XXX Pharmacy" a drug store.



kentix said:


> We do have those here but I've never been in one so I don't know what is standard.


Thanks. So there are pharmacies that are a little too small to be called drugstores.


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## The Newt

meijin said:


> But a drugstore also has a pharmacy in it, doesn't it? And if one can call such a store either a "drugstore" or "pharmacy"...
> 
> _You: I have to go to the pharmacy later. Do you know what time it close?
> Friend: Do you mean the store itself or the counter?_
> [...]



"Drugstores" always have pharmacy counters (which may not be open the same hours as the store as a whole). There can be a pharmacy counter in a department store or big box store, and in that case we probably wouldn't use "drugstore."


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## Roxxxannne

Small pharmacies are also called drug stores.
Around the corner from me there's a place that that calls itself a pharmacy (on its sign)  but I refer to it as a drugstore.  It has a pharmacy counter in the back and three short aisles with things like soap, vitamins, cough drops, first aid items, diapers, shampoo and similar products, as well as basic stationery items, a few snacks, socks, greeting cards, etc.
Generally I'd guess that, in addition to over-the-counter and prescription medications, small independent drug stores sell whatever they think their customers will buy.  I know one up near my home town (which calls itself a drug store) that sells a lot of postcards and souvenir items because it's on the main street in a town that gets a lot of tourists in the summer.  It also has a pharmacy counter and items like the those that the place around the corner from my apartment sells.


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## JulianStuart

I recently visited a pharmacy that had no


meijin said:


> cosmetics, ... snack foods, household products, stationery, magazines, etc. which would be found in "drugstores")


 but had first aid, bandages, knee supports, braces etc  - i.e. medical and health related products as well as standard over the counter products, whether "drugs" or "health products", some "nutraceuticals" cough drops, lip balm etc. I waited while my wife's medicine was "compounded" and everyone else who came in had business involved with the pharmacist, whether "normal" prescriptions or "compounding" requirements. It was very small and had only one counter with two stations for transactions.  I had never seen a pharmacy like this before and might have expected this to be inside a bigger store of some sort, whether current "drugstore" or supermarket etc. However, my regular pharmacies (in bigger stores) did not "do compounding".  They acknowledge their dying breed status!  In answer to the OP question, when you enter the building, you are in the pharmacy


> Dollar Drug, the original compounding pharmacy of Sonoma County, has been providing customers with exceptional personalized service since 1984. As one of the last independent pharmacies in the area, you'll find our staff to be knowledgeable and friendly. While our commitment to professional and reliable service is still the most important aspect of our business, we offer many patient care services that go beyond what your average drug store can offer.


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## kentix

JulianStuart said:


> It was very small and had only one counter with two stations for transactions.


That's what I'm talking about. They're very small and they focus on medicine. The one up the road from me looks like a very small house and not a retail store. Maybe I'll stop in to see, but I doubt they have food or other items like that for sale.


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## Packard

Most pharmacies have clear signage so it is unlikely that the question would arise.  But if it did, I would probably say, "Where is the pharmacy counter?"
_<Non-contributory image removed by moderator (Florentia52)>_


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## Roxxxannne

JulianStuart said:


> I recently visited a pharmacy that had no
> but had first aid, bandages, knee supports, braces etc  - i.e. medical and health related products as well as standard over the counter products, whether "drugs" or "health products", some "nutraceuticals" cough drops, lip balm etc. I waited while my wife's medicine was "compounded" and everyone else who came in had business involved with the pharmacist, whether "normal" prescriptions or "compounding" requirements. It was very small and had only one counter with two stations for transactions.  I had never seen a pharmacy like this before and might have expected this to be inside a bigger store of some sort, whether current "drugstore" or supermarket etc. However, my regular pharmacies (in bigger stores) did not "do compounding".  They acknowledge their dying breed status!  In answer to the OP question, when you enter the building, you are in the pharmacy


The places I was talking about are also compounding pharmacies, but they sell other non-medical stuff too -- not as much as CVS does, though.


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## meijin

Thanks all for the detailed explanations etc. which are really helpful.   



JulianStuart said:


> It was very small and had only one counter with two stations for transactions. I had never seen a pharmacy like this before and might have expected this to be inside a bigger store of some sort, whether current "drugstore" or supermarket etc.


It's good to know there are such pharmacies in the US that are too small to be called drugstores.


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## JulianStuart

meijin said:


> Thanks all for the detailed explanations etc. which are really helpful.
> It's good to know there are such pharmacies in the US that are too small to be called drugstores.


As they say, and my experience confirms, they are few and far between.


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## meijin

Also, are there small stores that sell only or mostly what Julian described BUT don't have a pharmacy (counter)? The reason I'm asking this is that we have such stores in Japan and I'm wondering what to call them in English. You can't call a store that doesn't have a pharmacy counter a "pharmacy" so I suppose I should call them drugstores although they are very small? (Or drugshops? )


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## Myridon

meijin said:


> It's good to know there are such pharmacies in the US that are too small to be called drugstores.


Going back to the original question: The employees in those stores would not be confused if you asked them where the pharmacy is and would not respond to you as if you said something wrong.  I'm sure it happens all the time.


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## Packard

When I was growing up in the 1950s and 1960s, all drug stores were local, independent, and small.  Typically someone would attend college to become a pharmacist with either the intention of opening such a store or with the intention of taking over the family business. 

All these stores had a "prescription counter" behind which the pharmacist would work.  He had all his bulk drugs behind that counter along with various sized bottles and a typewriter to fill out the labels with. 

All drugstores carried related items such as bandages, rubbing alcohol, hydrogen peroxide, laxatives, etc.  These are not prescribed but are "over the counter" purchases.  Some of these stores would carry items that were not medical in nature, like candies, newspapers, etc.

The very first large CVS-like pharmacy I had ever seen was in Syracuse when I was in college.  I came home and described it to my family and they listened in disbelief.  

That was also where I saw my first 24-hour supermarket.  These were alien concepts in 1966.


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## JulianStuart

meijin said:


> Also, are there small stores that sell only or mostly what Julian described BUT don't have a pharmacy (counter)? The reason I'm asking this is that we have such stores in Japan and I'm wondering what to call them in English. You can't call a store that doesn't have a pharmacy counter a "pharmacy" so I suppose I should call them drugstores although they are very small? (Or drugshops? )


I don't think such a type of store exists in the UK or the US - where they do not fill presctiptions but only have the other things a pharmacy (of the kind I described, with no snacks, newspapers, magazines etc) has.  Most of what would be for sale would be available in larger stores, drugstores, supermarkets, big box (Target Walmart etc) and probably cheaper


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## Myridon

meijin said:


> Also, are there small stores that sell only or mostly what Julian described BUT don't have a pharmacy (counter)? The reason I'm asking this is that we have such stores in Japan and I'm wondering what to call them in English. You can't call a store that doesn't have a pharmacy counter a "pharmacy" so I suppose I should call them drugstores although they are very small? (Or drugshops? )


Stores that sell the things that drug stores sell that have no pharmacy: Convenience store, dollar store, five-and-dime store, variety store, gift shop, ...


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## london calling

JulianStuart said:


> I recently visited a pharmacy that had no
> " cosmetics, ... snack foods, household products, stationery, magazines, etc. which would be found in drugstores"
> but had first aid, bandages, knee supports, braces etc  - i.e. medical and health related products as well as standard over the counter products, whether "drugs" or "health products", some "nutraceuticals" cough drops, lip balm etc.


We still have those in the UK. They're called pharmacies now: once upon a time you went to the chemist's, as I'm sure you remember. Otherwise, we have shops similar to CVS (Boots, Saver's...), which I became (unfortunately!) rather well-acquainted with during various visits to the States. None of these, as you are of course quite well aware, have ever been referred to as drugstores in the UK. Boots does have a pharmacy counter though, to get back to the original question.


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## JulianStuart

london calling said:


> We still have those in the UK. They're called pharmacies now: once upon a time you went to the chemist's, as I'm sure you remember. Otherwise, we have shops similar to CVS (Boots, Saver's...), which I became (unfortunately!) rather well-acquainted with during various visits to the States. None of these, as you are of course quite well aware, have ever been referred to as drugstores in the UK. Boots does have a pharmacy counter though, to get back to the original question.


 I recall them from my childhood so they were becoming rarer even in the 70s when I left the UK. They typically had large glass containers (apothecary jars?) full of coloured liquid in their windows, called themselves "dispensing chemists (or pharmacists)". Their merchandise did not extend very far beyond the medicinal category, although that expanded slowly - some were early photography shops because of the chemical nature of the process. These were the places that (supposedly) had signs proclaiming "We dispense with accuracy"   Back then, many would accomplish what today would be called "compounding" at least in the US - they mixed stuff up on the spot, rather than selling containers or pills from drug companies.  They would put them in little packets (for powders) and little brown bottles with cork for liquids.


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## london calling

JulianStuart said:


> Back then, many would accomplish what today would be called "compounding" at least in the US - they mixed stuff up on the spot, rather than selling containers or pills from drug companies.


It would appear they're coming back on trend in the UK.

Specialist Pharmacy |   Compounding – Personalised Medicine at its best. 

_As the pharmaceutical industry’s ‘one size fits all’ approach increasingly fails to meet the distinct requirements of each individual patient, the importance of custom-made medications is becoming more prevalent and more relevant than ever. Therefore, although not a new concept, the compounding pharmacy industry is experiencing a significant resurgence.

Compounding, however, is still relatively new in the UK. At Specialist Pharmacy we pride ourselves to be one of the first pharmacies in the UK who have been able to reintroduce this practice. _

Obviously,  there would be no need to ask for the pharmacy counter at this London pharmacy, Meijin.


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## JulianStuart

london calling said:


> It would appear they're coming back on trend in the UK.
> 
> Specialist Pharmacy |   Compounding – Personalised Medicine at its best.
> 
> _As the pharmaceutical industry’s ‘one size fits all’ approach increasingly fails to meet the distinct requirements of each individual patient, the importance of custom-made medications is becoming more prevalent and more relevant than ever. Therefore, although not a new concept, the compounding pharmacy industry is experiencing a significant resurgence.
> 
> Compounding, however, is still relatively new in the UK. At Specialist Pharmacy we pride ourselves to be one of the first pharmacies in the UK who have been able to reintroduce this practice. _
> 
> Obviously,  there would be no need to ask for the pharmacy counter at this London pharmacy, Meijin.


Interesting - thanks. 
(Quite a different concept than what I am familiar with Personalized medicine - Wikipedia - obviously that can't be done in a pharmacy.  There may be some confusion if the sector you mention grows.)


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## meijin

Myridon said:


> Stores that sell the things that drug stores sell that have no pharmacy: Convenience store, dollar store, five-and-dime store, variety store, gift shop, ...


But, unlike the type of store I mentioned, these stores don't mainly sell pharmaceutical and health products, do they?



london calling said:


> We still have those in the UK. They're called pharmacies now:





london calling said:


> Otherwise, we have shops similar to CVS (Boots, Saver's...), which I became (unfortunately!) rather well-acquainted with during various visits to the States. None of these, as you are of course quite well aware, have ever been referred to as drugstores in the UK.


So, in the UK, you call both of the following just pharmacies, right?
(1) the type of shops that are called drugstores in the US
(2) the type of shops that only (or mainly) sell pharmaceutical and health products but are too small to be called drugstores


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## Roxxxannne

meijin said:


> Thanks all for the detailed explanations etc. which are really helpful.
> 
> 
> It's good to know there are such pharmacies in the US that are too small to be called drugstores.


There are definitely pharmacies in the US that are also called drugstores.  See my comment #11.


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## meijin

Roxxxannne said:


> There are definitely pharmacies in the US that are also called drugstores. See my comment #11.


Yes, I understood that correctly. What I wanted to say was that there are pharmacies in the US that are too limited in the product range and too small to be called drugstores.


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## Ponyprof

I don't see a difference between drug store and pharmacy. 

In Canada, most of the stores in this category are larger and are chains. There are also some much smaller independent stores in this category.

With the smaller stores you can generally see the prescription counter from the front door. With the larger stores, not always.

I would just ask "where is the prescription counter?"


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## Roxxxannne

meijin said:


> Yes, I understood that correctly. What I wanted to say was that there are pharmacies in the US that are too limited in the product range and too small to be called drugstores.


I don't think I am explaining myself well.  To me all small stand-alone pharmacies are also drugstores, no matter how small they are or how few aisles of baby formula, paper towels, make-up and shampoo they have. Large chain establishments like CVS may also be called drugstores, and they have pharmacies within them.


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## meijin

Roxxxannne said:


> To me all small stand-alone pharmacies are also drugstores, no matter how small they are or how few aisles of baby formula, paper towels, make-up and shampoo they have.


Well, if there were a place in your area that only had a pharmacy counter inside it, would you call it a drugstore? (I don't often go to pharmacies, but I've seen such a place here in Japan.) I think you'd call it a pharmacy. If so, when, to you, does a pharmacy become a drugstore? When it has over-the-counter medicines behind the pharmacy counter? Or when the place has one or more aisles of pharmaceutical-related products? Or when the place also sells non-pharmaceutical products such as snacks and drinks? I'm very curious.


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## JulianStuart

meijin said:


> Well, if there were a place in your area that only had a pharmacy counter inside it, would you call it a drugstore? (I don't often go to pharmacies, but I've seen such a place here in Japan.) I think you'd call it a pharmacy. If so, when, to you, does a pharmacy become a drugstore? When it has over-the-counter medicines behind the pharmacy counter? Or when the place has one or more aisles of pharmaceutical-related products? Or when the place also sells non-pharmaceutical products such as snacks and drinks? I'm very curious.


I think Roxxxannne is saying that _anywhere_ that sells drugs (i.e. over the counter and presxription) can be called a drug store or drugstore.  These days, _most_ of them sell a lot broader range of products, but a stand-alone pharmacy is still in the category. The one I described is "Dollar Drug" not "Dollar Pharmacy", even though it has the narrowest range of products I've seen.


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## Roxxxannne

1.  Well, if there were a place in your area that only had a pharmacy counter inside it, would you call it a drugstore?
I'd be more likely to call it a drugstore.  I'd also call it a pharmacy.

2.  When it has over-the-counter medicines behind the pharmacy counter? Or when the place has one or more aisles of pharmaceutical-related products?
Same as above.

3.  Or when the place also sells non-pharmaceutical products such as snacks and drinks?
In #11 I mentioned two such places.  One calls itself a drugstore and one calls itself a pharmacy.  I'd be more likely to call them drugstores.  I'd also call them pharmacies.
The 'snacks-and-drinks' part of those stores is pretty small compared to the rest of the non-pharmaceutical things they sell.

Note, though, that I am talking about small, independent businesses.  I don't know the size of their floor space, but they are both small enough to have only two cash registers: one at the back where you pick up prescriptions, and one at the front where you pay for the shampoo, vitamins, postcards, etc.

I'm not talking about big national chains like CVS or Walgreens in the US -- big in the sense that the stores themselves are large and there are a lot of them across the country.  I just refer to them by their names.  To me they are stores that sell all sorts of stuff and happen to have pharmacies in them.


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## meijin

Thank you both very much for the explanations. It's really surprising but good to know that you (and presumably many other people in the US) would call even a place with just a pharmacy counter a drugstore (or a pharmacy).



Roxxxannne said:


> I'm not talking about big national chains like CVS or Walgreens in the US -- big in the sense that the stores themselves are large and there are a lot of them across the country. I just refer to them by their names.


But if someone asked "Excuse me, is there a drugstore around here?", you would answer "Yes, there's a CVS just around the corner". Am I correct?


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## JulianStuart

meijin said:


> But if someone asked "Excuse me, is there a drugstore around here?", you would answer "Yes, there's CVS just around the corner". Am I correct?


In my situation, I would answer "There's a small one over there (referring to "Dollar Drug") and a pharmacy counter in the Safeway (a supermarket) on the other side of the parking lot.  What are you looking for?"


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## meijin

JulianStuart said:


> and a pharmacy counter in the Safeway


The word "counter" can be omitted, right?


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## JulianStuart

Yes - it's optional.


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## Roxxxannne

meijin said:


> Thank you both very much for the explanations. It's really surprising but good to know that you (and presumably many other people in the US) would call even a place with just a pharmacy counter a drugstore (or a pharmacy).
> 
> 
> But if someone asked "Excuse me, is there a drugstore around here?", you would answer "Yes, there's CVS just around the corner". Am I correct?


 In real life, I'd probably start by giving them directions to the little independent place  -- "two blocks up and turn left" -- and then I'd say "but there's a CVS just around the corner."


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## meijin

I see. It's very interesting. So, if I were to conduct a survey on drugstores in the US, I'd probably have to write like _"Have you visited a drugstore (incl. CVS, Walgreens, etc.) in the past six months?"_


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## Roxxxannne

Yes.  I say that mainly because the people who write survey questions often are not specific about what they want the respondents to consider when they answer.


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## Ponyprof

Hmmm. I've been thinking about the larger multi purpose stores. If you were dropped down in North America it might be hard to know what to call them! I realize my understanding of them is based on how I've watched them evolve.

Walmart to me is "low end department store" and is a version of now-gone entities like K-Mart (North America) or Zeller's (Canada). Walmart now carries groceries including fresh produce, but keeps its full stock of housewares, clothing, shoes, hardware, and electronics. Some cheap furniture. And has a prescription counter.

We also have regional mega grocery stores, Super Store and Save-on Foods. They are primarily groceries and kitchen or cleaning supplies, but also carry a small selection of clothes and even some cheap furniture. They have a prescription counter. Even their smaller iterations usually have prescription counters, and I think so does Safeway's ( which is a traditional supermarket without clothes or furniture). To me these are all "super markets" or grocery stores.

Then we have the drug stores that have spread their reach. Regionally we have London Drugs which focuses on traditional health, household cleaning,  and personal care products but has an excellent computer and electronics department, a significant small household appliance section, a large selection of dry goods groceries and candy, and will carry cheap seasonal clothing. They have a much better prescription counter than Walmart or the grocery stores. 

Then we have tucked away here and there independent drug stores that only carry health supplies. I know of one near the general hospital that does prescriptions plus medical devices. I know another tiny one on the ground floor of a high rise complex with a lot of elderly residents. These always have prescription counters, it's where they make their money.

We also have a few medical supply stores that sell crutches, braces, wheel chairs, etc. They don't have a prescription counter, but they are very specialized and there are only a couple around.

If I were asking the survey question in the USA, I might be more likely to ask "Have you had a prescription filled? If so, where did you go?" Then multiple choice: (a) small independent drug store (b) large chain drugstore, ie CVS or Walgreens etc (c) department store, ie Walmart (d) supermarket or (e) other, please specify.

By and large, retail and restaurants in North America have been almost entirely swallowed up by chains and franchises, either regional, national, or international. Much of this is now concentrated in indoor malls (which are dying out and being redeveloped) or big box stores attached to new high rise housing developments. Department stores started to kill off small shops circa 1900, malls killed off department stores starting in the 1970s, big box stores killed off malls starting in the 1990s, and online shopping is taking a big bite out of everything now. 

We only have a few high traffic locations in our huge metro region where independent shops can afford to start up and will survive. 

Otherwise you see the same dozen chain shops repeated again and again in shopping centres throughout the suburbs. There really is not that much stuff to buy anymore, just more of the same low end stuff everywhere.

It's an interesting phenomenon for such a consumer driven culture. I think most people here are maxed out on affording housing (rent or mortgage), and after that they spend on food (going up a lot), transportation, and electronics (everyone needs a computer and cellphone), and personal grooming (fake nails, waxing, hair cuts) so the demand for interesting  clothes and even furniture is much smaller than it was say 40 years ago.


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## Myridon

Ponyprof said:


> Walmart to me is "low end department store" and is a version of now-gone entities like K-Mart (North America) or Zeller's (Canada).


To me, Wal-mart is (and K-Mart was) a "high end variety store" and is a version of Kresge's, Woolworth's, etc.  Department stores are places like JC Penney, Macy's, etc.  I would find it very odd if a survey suggested getting aspirin at a department store, much less a prescription.


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## JulianStuart

This is from the wikipedia article Pharmacies in the United States - Wikipedia


> There are approximately 88,000 *pharmacies in the United States*. Over half (about 48,000) are located within drug stores, grocery stores, hospitals, department stores, medical clinics, surgery clinics, universities, nursing homes, prisons, and other facilities. The remaining pharmacies are considered to be independent or privately owned.


They could have included _some_ Big-box store - Wikipedia 


> Big-box general merchandise retailers such as Target and Walmart


https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Walmart
Rather inconsiderate of the commercial world not to keep the names in some sort of well-defined order, right?  I think the questions suggested in #42 above would be a good start, depending, of course, on the specific information being sought.


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## meijin

Ponyprof said:


> We also have a few medical supply stores that sell crutches, braces, wheel chairs, etc. They don't have a prescription counter, but they are very specialized and there are only a couple around.


These stores sell non-prescription or over-the-counter medicines too, right? If so, can they also be called drugstores? (I think they can't be called pharmacies, because they don't have a prescription counter).


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## Ponyprof

meijin said:


> These stores sell non-prescription or over-the-counter medicines too, right? If so, can they also be called drugstores? (I think they can't be called pharmacies, because they don't have a prescription counter).



The medical supply stores sell equipment and usually not medicines of any kind. Braces, slings, crutches, colostomy gear, diabetic socks, scooters, orthopedic foot stuff, chair cushions. Etc. They are not called drug stores.


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## meijin

Thanks. I didn't know such stores exist.


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