Final answer:
A dispensing fee is a charge by a pharmacy for providing medication to a patient, separate from the cost of the actual medication.
Step-by-step explanation:
A dispensing fee is the charge that a pharmacy applies for providing medication to a patient. It covers the cost of various services provided by the pharmacy, such as staff salaries, operational costs, and medication storage. The dispensing fee is separate from the cost of the actual medication.
For example, let's say a prescription costs $10 and the dispensing fee is $5. The patient would pay a total of $15 for the medication.
Commonly, a dispensing fee is a fixed amount for each prescription, but it can also be a percentage of the medication cost or a combination of both.