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Your local pharmacy: next to your physician, it’s the healthcare facility that knows you best. Both pharmacists and pharmacy technicians work hard to help you achieve your health goals.
Whether you’re stopping by for something to fix a pervasive headache or you’re filling your medication, your pharmacy care team knows you intimately enough to deliver the right advice every time.
But with more people than ever relying on mail-order pharmacies, is the time of the local pharmacy over? Though some people think so, nothing could be further from the truth. Visiting and remaining loyal to your local pharmacy comes with very distinct benefits you won’t achieve online. From personalized service to cheaper products, to delivery options, we outline six of those benefits right here.
1. Individualized Advice
Because your pharmacy care team knows your personal health situation, they can also make recommendations on everyday self-care that better fit your needs.
Here’s an example; let’s say you have high blood pressure, but you come down with a terrible cold. Your pharmacist would advise you to refrain from taking cold medications that contain stimulant drugs like phenylpropanolamine or ephedrine because they can increase blood pressure.
If you were to pick out a cold medicine on your own, or visit a pharmacy that doesn’t know your health situation, that point might be missed. And that can lead to dangerous complications or interactions that could cause harm.
Instead, your pharmacy care team can review your record, your medications, and your illnesses to choose the safest and most reliable OTC medication for your needs.
2. Save Money on Expensive Prescriptions
Your local pharmacy care team knows your health insurance situation and can often work with you to find the most affordable solution for your needs. That leads to lower overall costs for both over-the-counter and prescription medications, regardless of what you’re attempting to treat.
When you’re prescribed an expensive medication, and order online, you’re given the standard brand that pharmacy provides. Getting substitutions or discovering cheaper versions isn’t always easy. There’s little wiggle room for substitutions, and the process to request substitutions is often cumbersome.
In contrast, your local pharmacy can review your prescription, take a look at your insurance and what it covers, and then make substitutions on the spot that are easier to take, cheaper, or more sensible for your needs. Better still, they can often make these substitutions on the spot in just a few minutes. It’s fast, efficient, and easier on your pocketbook!
3. Working With Your Physician
Do you struggle with a chronic illness? Perhaps you’ve been trying to rid yourself of a chest infection for weeks. When initial treatment plans don’t work, doctors will often try to change medications or adjust dosages to compensate. But going back and forth between your doctor’s office and the pharmacy can be incredibly time-consuming and exhausting, especially when you’re not feeling well already.
That’s where the working relationship between your doctor’s office and your pharmacy comes in.
Most local pharmacies have a good working relationship with local doctors. If your physician prescribes something that doesn’t make sense for you, they may be able to contact your physician by telephone to have the prescription changed. This saves you a trip and cuts down on the amount of time spent traveling between offices.
This is also true for forgotten prescriptions and emergency fill needs. Forgot to refill your beta blocker? Your local pharmacy may be able to contact your doctor to approve a small refill to keep you going until you can get an appointment. Need an allergy med? Your doctor can often call it in rather than requiring that you visit the office first.
Of course, call-ins are generally restricted to non-narcotic medications–but that’s still time saved that allows you to rest and heal rather than running around.
4. Checking Basic Vital Statistics
Keeping track of blood pressure? Testing your sugar? Perhaps you’re seeking in-depth hormone testing to identify subtle thyroid problems.
Often, your local pharmacy has the ability to aid you in these goals. While you’re in the pharmacy shopping or picking up medications, they can test your blood pressure, sugar, or even hormone levels on the spot and make a note of it on your file.
Basic testing and recording like this creates an ongoing record that might point out problematic patterns over time. You might not necessarily notice these patterns on your own if you’re only testing every few months at the doctor’s office.
Not every pharmacy offers this service, but those that do often provide other integrative care services. If you’re not sure, call your pharmacist to verify.
5. Convenience
We’ve all had those days: you pick the kids up from school, then stop for gas. Then you have to stop for milk at the grocery store. Then, yet another stop at the hardware store for something. Maybe even a stop at yet another location for something else. It’s a waste of time and a waste of gas!
Most pharmacies today also sell basic grocery items like milk, bread, and eggs, too. Many provide access to hygiene products like shampoo, conditioner, makeup, feminine hygiene products, first aid supplies–even crutches, braces, and mobility aids, too. Rather than stopping at multiple locations for these products, you can shop for them all at the same time at your local pharmacy.
In addition, some local pharmacies have a gift shop in them as well. So while you’re stopping by to pick up your medication, you might just find the perfect gift for an upcoming event or holiday.
Think your pharmacist only handles prescription medications? Think again. When you’re struggling to treat skin issues, dandruff, and other personal hygiene struggles, your pharmacist is a wealth of information on the subject. Don’t be afraid to ask for advice on those personal hygiene or OTC medication needs when you visit–they’re happy to help.
6. Have Your Medications Compounded
One of the biggest benefits to your health when you use a local pharmacy lies in their ability to customize your medications for you with compounding. If a certain formula isn’t working, whether it’s because you need a smaller or larger dose or you’re allergic to a certain filler, your pharmacist can often compound a newer and safer version for you on the spot. Here are a few groups of people that compounding can benefit.
Patients who are prescribed bio-identical hormones – Because few bio-identical products exist on the commercial market, nearly all prescriptions must be compounded from base ingredients. Your pharmacist takes the bio-identical hormone and compounds it into whatever formula works best for you–a cream, a pill, a liquid, or in some cases, even an injection.
Kids – There’s no need to struggle with convincing little ones to take their medication when it tastes awful. Speak with your pharmacist and ask about flavoring. This, too, falls under pediatric compounding, and can make the process of taking medication easier on everyone (Mum, Dad, and the child, too).
Pets – Don’t forget about your pets! Pet owners know how difficult it can be to get their pets to take medication. A compounding pharmacy can help you find a solution to your medication challenges and meet the needs of your specific pet.
Go Local
There’s a common misconception that pharmacies only handle issues related to drugs, but this simply isn’t true. Above all else, you should consider your pharmacy care team to be an available and patient source of advice when it’s needed most. No matter what your healthcare concern, your local pharmacy can help you to achieve your most important healthcare goals.
It’s interesting to know that local pharmacists will work with your physician and can help you during an emergency. My husband and I moved to a new city, and we are looking for advice to find a pharmacy near us. I will look fora pharmacy to help us with my grandmother’s prescriptions.