8 Things Your Pharmacist Wants You To Know

We know that a trip to the pharmacy isn’t always simple. As your pharmacist, here are 8 things we want you to know.

Sometimes you’re in and out in a few minutes and other times you spend an incredible amount of time standing in front of a display of medication, comparing labels, and wondering if you’re even in the right place.

It can be overwhelming and, at times, embarrassing to find yourself faced with a question and no one to ask. That’s when you should make your way to your pharmacist.

1. Your Pharmacist is a Specialist

While your pharmacist can’t diagnose an illness, he can help you choose the best pain medication for a diagnosed illness.

Not sure which stool softener is best after a medical procedure?

Ask.

Not sure which medication is best for your bee sting?

Ask.

Concerned about whether or not an over-the-counter medication will react with a prescription?

Definitely ask.

Your pharmacy wants to help you – and will. All you have to do is ask.

2. Patience is Critical in the Pharmacy

Your pharmacist knows you don’t feel well and wants to see you safely home as soon as possible.

That said, pharmacists have to live up to very high standards and even a small mistake could prove detrimental to someone’s health.

Please be patient when there are lines or if you have to wait a bit to ask a question.

Pharmacies are working hard to stay focused and fill each prescription as quickly as possible while maintaining complete accuracy.

Trust that he or she will get you as soon as is humanly possible without sacrificing quality of service.

3. Pharmacy Loyalty is Important

We get it. Your main pharmacy is close to your house, but there’s another one right between your doctor’s office and your workplace and sometimes you stop there to get scripts filled, too.

The problem is that neither pharmacy will end up with your full prescription history, which means neither pharmacist will be able to monitor for drug interactions.

Drug interactions can be incredibly serious, so extra care is important to your overall well-being.

Your pharmacist will know if your medications may react badly and make you ill, if your medications may simply cancel each other out and give you no benefit at all, and even if the over-the-counter medications you’re buying (if you tell him about them) will interact with your prescriptions.

If you do have to use two different pharmacies, try to stay within the same network.

Pharmacists operating within the same network usually have access to your information uniformly.

4. We Know Medications are Expensive

While we have absolutely no control over the actual cost of your prescriptions, we know that medications can be expensive. We also know that no two insurance plans are alike.

Please talk to your pharmacist if you can’t afford a drug that has been prescribed to you. Your pharmacist can talk to your doctor about alternative medications or may be able to help you find a coupon or discount program.

Pharmacists are also well-practiced in drug manufacturer programs, and may know if your manufacturer has any programs available for free or discounted medications.

There are options for many drugs.

Don’t cut your pills, skip days, or take the wrong dosage to make a drug last. Using it incorrectly isn’t going to help you stay healthy and could even hurt you in the long run.

Your safety is worth the few minutes it takes to ask!

5. Refill Your Medications Early

If there was one thing every pharmacist could tell every patient, it would be to refill your medications before you are completely out.

Try to contact your pharmacy at least 48 hours in advance, if possible. This will give your pharmacy time to get a refill authorization from your doctor if you don’t have any left in the system.

Your pharmacy will also have time to order your drug if there isn’t enough in stock in the store.

Ordering early is less stressful for everyone and will ensure your medication is prepared and ready for you to pick up when you need it.

6. Splitting Pills Isn’t Always Safe

Not all pills are created the same way and while some are safe to split, others are not.

The general rule of thumb is that if a pill is scored down the middle, it is safe to split if your doctor has instructed you to do so to get the correct dose.

You should never, ever attempt to cut any sort of timed release capsule, whether it’s marked as extended, controlled, or sustained.

The coatings on these pills are designed to control how quickly your body absorbs the drug contained within. Splitting or crushing them can cause the medication to release all at once, risking overdoses and uncomfortable side effects.

7. That Glass of Water is Important

You know how some medications instruct you to take the pills with a glass of water? You know how most people take a few sips and walk away?

Don’t do that.

Water is important for two reasons.

First, that full glass of water will ensure your medications are washed out of your very sensitive esophagus, reducing the risk of irritation. Second, some medications can dehydrate you, so the extra water combats that particular side-effect.

8. Check Your Meds at the Pharmacy

Don’t be afraid to stand at the pharmacy counter, open the bag, and look at the pills in the bottle. Don’t recognize one? The shape or color is different?

Ask to speak to the pharmacist.

The most likely scenario is that the pharmacy switched manufacturers and the size, shape, or color is different now. The worst case scenario is that you ended up with the wrong medication.

Don’t worry about holding up the people behind you for an extra minute. Check your medications to ensure you’re confident you have the right ones before you leave.

Your pharmacist is a very highly trained medical professional with a specialty in medications. They honestly know more than most of your doctors about the different drugs, how they interact with each other, and the ways they are available for consumption.

We are ready and willing to answer any questions you have about your medication needs, whether over the counter or prescriptions. Never be afraid to ask!