TOP SECRET! There’s not some big computer database that tracks your drugs and flags interactions for pharmacists everywhere. Use one pharmacy. If you start using a new one, make sure we know what you’re taking.
1. Don’t try to get anything past us. Prescriptions for painkillers or sleeping aids always get extra scrutiny.
2. Generics are a close match for most brand names. But I’d be careful with blood thinners and thyroid drugs, since small differences can have big effects.
3. I hate your insurance company as much as you do. Even if something’s working for you, the insurance company may insist you switch to something else. I’m stuck in the middle trying to explain this to customers.
4. We can give flu shots in most states.
5. All pharmacists are not created equal. A less-qualified pharmacy technician may have actually filled your prescription. Currently, there is no national standard for their training and responsibilities.
6. We’re human . . . And we make mistakes (about two million a year). Ask if we use a bar code system to help keep us from pulling the wrong drug off the shelf or giving the wrong strength of the right drug.
7. If you don’t like a generic, ask if there are alternatives. I can give you a generic refill that’s different from the one you started with.
8. We’ll save you money if we can. A good part of a pharmacist’s time is spent dealing with patients and their incomes. Part of that is suggesting generic alternatives. Or if a doctor has prescribed a newer drug with no generic alternative available, I’ll call the doctor to suggest an older drug that’s equally effective.
9. Look into the $4 and $10 generics. Chains like Target, Kroger, and Walmart offer them.
10. It gets busy Monday and Tuesday evenings, since many new prescriptions and refills come in after the weekend.
11. Don’t put up with the silent treatment. Pharmacists are required by law in most states to counsel patients and answer their questions. If your pharmacist seems too busy to talk, take your business elsewhere.
TOP SECRET! There’s not some big computer database that tracks your drugs and flags interactions for pharmacists everywhere. Use one pharmacy. If you start using a new one, make sure we know what you’re taking.
12. People take too many drugs. Two out of every three patients who visit a doctor leave with at least one prescription for medication, according to the Institute for Safe Medication Practices. Drugs are an easy solution, but there are other solutions.
13. Talk to me—and check my work. Every year plenty of prescriptions are taken wrong—the FDA has recorded an incident where a man overdosed after his wife mistakenly applied six prescription painkilling patches to his skin. And many people don’t ask questions about how to use their medications. When you pick up your prescription, at least ask, “What is this drug? What does it do? Why am I taking it? What are the possible side effects? and How should I take it?” Not only does this help you to use the drug correctly; it’s also a good way to double-check that you’re getting the right drug.
SOURCES: Cindy Coffey, PharmD; Greg Collins, pharmacy supervisor, CVS/pharmacy, California; Stuart Feldman, owner, Cross River Pharmacy, New York; Dr. Daniel Zlott, oncology pharmacist, National Institutes of Health.