What best defines a pharmacy?

A pharmacy is best defined as a shop that prepares and sells medicines because it specifically refers to a place where licensed professionals, such as pharmacists, dispense medications prescribed by healthcare providers, as well as provide health consultations and advice about medications. Pharmacies often have the essential facilities to handle, store, and manage pharmaceutical products while also ensuring the safe and effective use of those medicines.

Other choices, while related to the medical field, describe different functions. A clinic provides various medical services, including examinations and treatments but is not primarily focused on the preparation and sale of medicines. A laboratory for drug testing performs analyses and research on drugs and their effects, which is separate from the operations of a pharmacy. Lastly, a hospital department for dispensing medication refers specifically to the pharmacy services within a hospital setting but does not capture the broader concept of a pharmacy as a retail establishment that serves the general public.