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Choosing a pharmacy
You need to find a pharmacy you are comfortable with and
use it for all of your prescriptions. This will reduce the
risk of prescription filling errors. But how can you tell a good
pharmacy from one that is not so good?
Factors to consider
Here are
some things to think about:
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Does the pharmacy have a searchable records
system? Does it keep track of drug interactions, duplications,
and changes that may affect you?
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Are your prescriptions filled quickly and correctly?
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Do the pharmacists explain
medications - their names,
uses, how they should be taken, and possible precautions and side
effects?
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Is a pharmacist available to answer your
questions? Do you understand the answers given?
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Do the pharmacists help you select over-the-counter
medications that won't interfere with your prescription medicines and
treatment plans?
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Do you feel comfortable
here - not rushed, uneasy, or
intimidated?
How your pharmacist can help
Once you've found your pharmacy, get to know your
pharmacist. A survey done for the American Pharmacists Association
found that folks who know their pharmacist by name also tend to:
 | keep the pharmacist up to date on all their
medications, |
| read the labeling info on their prescriptions, |
| and ask the pharmacist questions. |
Pharmacists know about the chemical composition of
drugs and how they function in the body. They are familiar with
the diseases that different drugs are used to treat, and how drugs are
absorbed and metabolized.
What to ask
Here are just some of the issues your pharmacist can
help you with:
| what to do if you miss a dose of a particular
medication |
| how to store your meds so they remain potent |
| ways to cut prescription costs |
| advice on over-the-counter medications |
| potential for harmful interactions between your
prescriptions meds and over-the-counter drugs, herbal supplements,
food, and alcohol |
| negative side effects you might encounter and what
to do about them |
| how to properly administer drugs not in pill form,
such as inhalers, nose and eye drops, and skin patches |
| questions about insurance and Medicare Part D (the
prescription drug benefit) |
Pharmacist are a wonderful resource when it comes to
medications and supplements. Make an ally of yours. |
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Find
a Pharmacy
