By being there for you when you need them
Pharmacists are the most accessible
professionals in the health care system. How
many times have you gone into your community
pharmacy and asked the pharmacist which cold
medicine would clear up your congestion, or
which vitamin was better to take, or what type
of bandage should you use on your one-year-old's
first cut. Have you ever considered the number
of people who ask for the identification of the
drug that was found under their teenager's bed,
or what to do about their very personal hygienic
problem, or what can the pharmacist do to help
their senior parent who cannot remember which
medication to take when. Pharmacists are there
for you when you need them.
By becoming educated in what you need
Do you realize that pharmacists hold university
degrees in pharmacy and that they have undergone
a five-year program to be able to help you get
the most of your medication? Pharmacists are
medication experts who have other members of the
health care team, such as physicians, nurses,
and others, relying on their advice and guidance
on matters of medication use and management.
Pharmacists must keep informed on the thousands
of types of medication available, and know what
is best for you. Pharmacists are also
specializing in areas of new trends, including
herbal remedies and homeopathy.
By providing you with what you need
So you are not feeling well. You have gone to
you doctor and they have written you a
prescription to "make you feel better." What do
you need from your pharmacist? Well, the
pharmacist is the one who can give you the
medication you need, and the pharmacist will
ensure that you have an accurately filled
prescription, taking into account your specific
conditions and other medications to ensure that
you will not be harmed by the new medication.
There are so many things that a pharmacist must
consider when filling your prescription - what
other medications you are on, what interactions
may occur with foods or drugs, what is the best
method for taking it, what will happen if you do
not finish your entire prescription, how you are
going to pay for the it, what types of side
effects may occur, what to do if problems arise.
When you leave your pharmacy, you should feel
confident that you have all the information you
need to be comfortable with your prescription.
If you have questions, be sure to ask.
By building a professional relationship
with you
Pharmacists are health care professionals. You
should choose your pharmacist and maintain a
professional relationship with that pharmacy in
the same manner that you do with your family
doctor's or dentist's office. The better the
pharmacy knows you, the better chance there is
of knowing what will and won't work for your
prescription needs. When you are sick, wouldn't
it be better if you could just run into a
pharmacy that you are familiar with and speak to
someone you know, who has a record of your
medication and patient history, as opposed to
explaining to a new person what other
medications you are taking and what obstacles
you may have in completing your prescription.
Your pharmacist is ready to become your
pharmacist today.
By being a source of information
Pharmacists don't know everything, but
pharmacists tend to be one of the largest
sources of personal medication information
available. Pharmacists can answer questions on a
wide variety of subjects and they have
information or tools available on many different
topics specific medication, disease management,
health care products and services such as breast
pumps, glucometers, and inhalers. Also, with a
membership to their professional association,
pharmacists can gain access to many other tools
and material to help provide you with what you
need to enhance the quality of your health, and
life.
Do you know a pharmacist who has gone above
and beyond the call of duty? Would you like to
share your story with pharmacists and other
members of the public? Would you like your
pharmacist to be nominated for recognition by
his peers in an awards ceremony? Please e-mail us your story. We will publish
your letters in a column called, Good Job,
Pharmacist! in the pharmacists' professional
journal, The Ontario Pharmacist.
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