An apparatus and method for manufacturing a pharmaceutical dose which dispenses a variable selectable quantity of at least one pharmaceutical onto a pharmaceutical receiving medium. The quantity of the dispensed pharmaceutical(s) are controllably dispensed to customize each pharmaceutical dose to suit the needs of a particular user. The apparatus is coupled by an external telecommunication network to a remote signal source for receiving pharmaceutical quantity and type data for custom manufacturing a pharmaceutical dose. In one aspect, a replaceable cartridge contains a reservoir carrying at least one pharmaceutical component and a fluid drop generator which is mountable in the fluid dispenser. The reservoir may contain a number of separate compartments, each carrying different pharmaceutical component.