With thousands of drugs in existence, are pharmacies required to carry all of them?

If not, then how can they be orderd to carry certain drugs?

Are you asking if pharmacies are required to keep all the drugs in stock or simply to be able to acquire them? There are far too many drugs available, not to mention drug strengths for a pharmacy to keep all in stock. They keep the mainstream drugs as well as a selection from most major drug groups.

As for a pharmacy being ordered to carry a specific drug - it's possible. Each state has a Board of Pharmacy which is a state agency responsible for licensure and discipline of pharmacists and pharmacies. They also provide pharmacies with a reference guide to prescriptions that can be dispensed in that particular state. A pharmacy can be forced to carry a drug either by the state's Board of Pharmacy or by a lawsuit against that Board of Pharmacy for not requiring said pharmacy to carry a particular drug. Now this is different from a pharmacist being required to fill a prescription. There will be instances where a pharmacist will refuse to fill a prescription - specifically if they think the prescribed medicine will react negatively with another medication you are taking, or if they feel an excessive quantity has been prescribed, or if they feel the prescription is forged.

Thanks Georgia. Yes, I wanted to know if they were required to keep all drugs in stock, since they have no idea what the doctor will prescribe.

As for the second part of my question, I couldn't understand why Walmart could be ordered to stock emergency contraception, unless they were required to stock all drugs. Doesn't seen right. I read that Wal-Mart now carries the pill only in Illinois, where it is required to do so under state law.

I remember once I needed some kind of iodine pill and it had to be ordered from St. Louis.

Isn't it frustrating when we have to wait to get a prescription filled? You would think they would have everything available at their finger-tips but that is seldom the case. I knew every time I came in with a prescription from my dentist for Gel-Kam it would have to be special ordered. Luckily the flouride treatment is now OTC. For more critical situations, the pharmacist will call other pharmacies to see if any have a drug in stock.

I think for the Walmart situation they were ordered to carry the drug because someone filed a lawsuit.