Get To Know Your Pharmacist
A pharmacist can give you the right guidance on your meds regimen.
By: AARP Outreach and Services | Source: AARP.org | October 30, 2007
Today it is up to you to take an active role in your health care. This includes getting more from your pharmacy visits. You may be surprised by the services your pharmacist can provide. The more you can work in a trio-you, your doctor and your pharmacist-the more you will benefit from your medications.
Three Simple Ways to Benefit from Your Pharmacy Visits
1.Keep a list of the medicines you take and share it with your pharmacist.
Use a personal medication record as an updated list of all the prescription medications and over the counter medicines and supplements you take, including their dosages. This is one of the best ways to help you communicate well with your doctor and pharmacist.
2. Pick one pharmacy for all your needs
You can go to any pharmacist you want. Some health insurance plans make it more economical to use certain pharmacies. Do everything you can to pick a pharmacy where you can fill all of your prescriptions.
3. Go to the pharmacy in person
Be prepared to get information you need and want when you go to the pharmacy. Try to choose a time when they're not likely to be busy and look for a sign showing where you can talk with the pharmacist. The sign may say "Pharmacist Consultation" or "Patient Counseling." You can use this time to ask your pharmacist these specific questions. See below for sample questions.
What is the name of this medication and what is it supposed to do?
Your pharmacist can:
- Check that the drug on your prescription is the right one for your condition, not another drug with a similar name.
- Make sure that this drug is not on a list of drugs that older people should never take.
- Ensure that the prescribed drug is not recalled or under investigation.
- Check the list of all the medications on your Personal Medication Record (your patient profile) so to help you avoid dangerous interactions. This check includes over-the-counter, non-prescription drugs that you take.
Your pharmacist can:
- Give and explain detailed written instructions for when to take this drug.
- Print out the label for the medication container with instructions in larger type.
Your pharmacist can:
- Explain the reasons forbehind the drug use and how to store itage instructions.
- Give you specific examples of possibly dangerous drug reactions to report-and how to report them.
- Explain the safest way to add another medication-prescription or over-the-counter-to what you already take.
- Contact your doctor to see if you can or should take all your prescription drugs at the same times each day.
If you take more than one medicine, you should give your medications an annual "check-up." Bring in all the medicine you take or keep in your home-including prescription drugs, over-the-counter drugs, herbal supplements (vitamins and herbs), and prescription lotions or creams- to your pharmacist.and sit down with a pharmacist . The pharmacist will review your medications for medically serious side effects, drug-drug duplication, and/or dangerous interactions and improper use. The pharmacist can recommend needed changes to your doctor. The pharmacist may charge a small fee. But the review can result in your taking fewer medications. That may benefit your health and your pocketbook.
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