Final answer:
Pharmacies in the U.S., regulated by the FDA, sell approved medicines, ensuring consumer safety. The 'losers' of the regulatory system include patients awaiting new treatments and small pharmaceutical companies facing financial challenges. In contrast, dispensaries for medical marijuana, such as those in Los Angeles, face less stringent regulations.
Step-by-step explanation:
In the context of U.S. regulations, pharmacies are places licensed to sell prescriptions and over-the-counter medications, overseen by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) to ensure safety and efficacy. The strict testing and regulation of medicines can mean that pharmaceutical companies might spend years before their products can reach the market.
While this protects consumers from unsafe drugs, the 'losers' in this system can be patients who may have benefited from quicker access to potentially life-saving drugs that are tied up in the regulatory process. Furthermore, small pharmaceutical companies might struggle with the financial burden of extended testing periods.
Conversely, dispensaries, especially those emerging in response to the legalization of medical marijuana such as seen in Los Angeles, present an interesting contrast as they do not typically face such stringent regulations and may outnumber traditional pharmacies. Historically, another name for pharmacist is 'chemist,' a term that reflects the background in chemistry. Today's pharmacists possess scientific knowledge that assists in delivering health services, but they rarely compound their own drugs as they did in the past.