We tend to have a natural skepticism toward drugs reps, but we really should be skeptical about the information and not make it personal with the rep…

(more…)

A little video about pharmacy in 1946, always interesting to know the history of your profession I think. What will pharmacy look like in 2046, not really that far away. There will always be a place for easy access to medications, and there will always be a need for a human, professional, point of contact, but the way in which is will be setup will be interesting to see. I don’t think the standalone robotic dispenser with no human interference will ever happen when it comes to medication.

Can you image? If you slip a buck into a vending maching and your coke gets stuck, you let it go, or you put another buck in and have a shot with getting a fanta. If you put you last remaining repeat prescription into a machine and your migraine medication gets jammed, well, you’re screwed on that buddy. (more…)

One of the major barriers to people being comfortable in coming up to the pharmacist to ask a question is the fact that in most pharmacies, this is far from a private setting.

(more…)

Some of the names, faces, and appliances have been changed to protect identities

It’s great to be helpful but you need to wonder if things have gone way too far in respect to the ‘above and beyond’ attitude pharmacies take to please their customers…and no, it’s not all about the money/keeping the customers. Some customers are more trouble than they’re (financially) worth to the store, but we keeping chugging along, doing our bit for the people that comes in and out of our store and eventually instill in us an obligation that must help them at all costs. (more…)

A Masseratti, now that would be nice…

Just some buddies from pharmacy around their ride…oh no, wait, that’s the cast of Entourage. My bad. (more…)

I came across this article which mentions something we’ve read in similar studies and articles that state that pharmacists are the top, or in the top three usually, most trusted professions. I wonder if we still feel this to be the case for a couple reasons.

In a recent post I mention the move toward discount pharmacies. While this may have some positives for the public on their bottom line when visiting the pharmacy, there are somedraw backs I will discuss later, but for now I want to focus on the issue of trust. Going back a few years, I don’t really think you need to go back to far, lets say, maybe four or five years ago, the public did not have a clear concept on drug pricing. The pharmacy would charge what they charge and that was that. Now, for those in the pharmacy profession, I think we can agree  previously we were charging reasonable prices and this helped support what is effectively a small business for the owner and all the costs involved, as well as having many staff on hand so when a customer walked in wait was minimal. Secondly, there is an onus of responsibility on the pharmacist who has also dedicated much time and expense in becoming qualified, so in line with similar professions, monetary reimbursement is expected. In general, it was a fair system. (more…)

Here’s your Oxycontin (insert mischievous laugh here) (more…)

The material for this comment comes from a question asked through our ‘Ask a Question’ portal. Of course no specific detail will given as all medication question are confidential, but these red-flagged questions will hopefully be educational to our non medical readers, and those pharmacy students/new pharmas who need to remember to check any drug combined with pregnancy (or lactation for that matter) and not assume its probably okay because its not one of those extreme Catagory X drugs you get scared with at university.

A question posed was if a certain blood pressure medication is okay to take while pregnant. This person already was pregnant and there was a reasonable amount of time before her next doctor’s appointment and hence when this issue would have been discussed. (more…)

A question we often have from people in our pharmacy is “do I need this?”. Often the answer you will receive is “It depends…”

Certain supplements may be required by your doctor based on a health condition you may have or a blood test which has shown a low amount of a particular chemical in your body. As you’d expect, if you’re doctor has asked you to have a certain supplement, we encourage you to follow your doctor’s advice. If you find you are not feeling well or have some type of adverse effect since initiating that supplement, you should let your doctor know. (more…)

People are often put off by the very title quit smoking, as it does have the implication as you need to stop, straight away. This is not always the case. There are a variety of approaches  to reducing smoking, and down the road quitting. Of course there is always the option to stop straight away, with or without a product, however if you do not feel comfortable with the cold turkey approaches, there are other paths to take to the goal of no longer needing to light up.

Most people are familiar with patches and gum. There are also inhalers and lozenges for those not comfortable with chewing gum, for example it may not be appropriate in their work place. For others there is a preference to patches which discreetly give the body a suitable dose of nicotine that can avoid cravings. These are available to wear from morning until bedtime, as well as 24 hours patches that can give around the clock control of cravings. Which one should you use? The first points to consider is any health conditions you may have as well as medications. In those instances it is appropriate to seek your GPs opinion, however, you can check with your pharmacist whether those conditions/medications have any impact upon the decision. If they do, the pharmacist would then advise you to see your doctor before starting to administer any nicotine products. Medical reasoning aside, it is personal preference what type of nicotine replacement you use. The important part is to consider how much you currently smoke to then allow you to chose a strength of whatever form you choose. (more…)

Your local pharmacist can be your first port of call for any healthcare matters or questions you may have. Often they are issues which aren’t considered urgent enough to see a doctor directly for, or issues which a person seeks an opinion whether a doctor should be seen or if it can be simply treated.

Secondly, there is a large range of health supplements and items out in pharmacies and other stores, and a pharmacist can provide you wish a professional opinion on a product or condition. More often that not, a pharmacist makes for a bad retailer as often they will not recommend a sale if the item is not in your best interest. (more…)