Clinical Pharmacy includes all the services performed by pharmacists practicing in hospitals, community pharmacies, nursing homes, home-based care services, clinics and any other setting where medicines are prescribed and used.

The term "clinical" does not necessarily imply an activity implemented in a hospital setting. It describes that the type of activity is related to the health of the patient(s). This implies that community pharmacists and hospital pharmacists both can perform clinical pharmacy activities.

How does clinical pharmacy differ from pharmacy?

The discipline of pharmacy embraces the knowledge on synthesis, chemistry and preparation of drugs clinical pharmacy is more oriented to the analysis of population needs with regards to medicines, ways of administration, patterns of use and drugs effects on the patients. The focus of attention moves from the drug to the single patient or population receiving drugs.