How to Be a Savvy Pharmacy Customer

More and more medications are prescribed today than ever before. Pharmacies are becoming as popular on the street corner as 7-11 Convenience Stores. If you are one of these pharmacy patrons, you need a few basic bits of information to help make your transaction at the pharmacy go more smoothly.

Instructions

Difficulty: Moderate

Things You’ll Need:

• Common Sense
• Pen and Paper
• Your Prescription(s)

1. First off, know what the physician has prescribed for you. It is astonishing how many patients drop off prescriptions at their local pharmacy and ask what the medication is to treat. You just spent 1+ hours at the doctor's office or worse, several hours in the ER, therefore you should know what you were there for. I have been to many doctors' offices myself and have yet to receive a prescription that the doctor does not explain why he or she is writing it. Pay attention!
2. Next, you should have taken notes while the doctor was treating you. Do not be afraid to ask questions. If the physician tells you one thing and yet the nurse tells you something else -- clarify it! I don't expect everyone to be able to read a doctor's chicken scratch handwriting but if you took notes while in the doctor's care, they can always be a back-up if there are any questions. I recently was handed a prescription that advised a patient to take her medication once a week. The patient had her own notes from the nurse that stated this same medication should be taken 3 times a week. After calling the office for verification, we found out the nurse's notes were right and the prescription had to be corrected. See what I mean?
3. Always know your medication allergies. Hint: An allergic reaction is a swelling of the throat where breathing becomes difficult, a swelling of the affected area, hives, rash, or similar effect. Vomiting or upset stomach is not an allergy. Drowsiness is not an allergy. These are possible side effects to many medications and can and will happen to most people on the same medication. Read the information pamphlet from the pharmacy that comes with your medication. It is full of valuable information and is there for your safety. Federal law stipulates that some medications be dispensed with an additional medication guide. Read it, folks. This is your health we are talking about.
4. Know what other medications you are currently taking and inform the pharmacist. If you use more than one pharmacy, there is no way a possible drug interaction or contraindication can be foreseen if the filling pharmacist does not have your medication history.
5. Some drug names can be confusing or difficult to pronounce. Always keep a legible list of your medications, dosages, and prescribing physicians' names on you at all times. If you are in an accident or become unconscious, the emergency personnel will be able to better assist you if they know your medication history or need to get more information about your medical condition from your physician.
6. Follow your physicians' and your pharmacists' advice. Do not self-diagnose or alter your therapy without consulting with your doctor or pharmacist first. If your medication is too expensive and you think you're saving money by cutting pills in half or skipping doses, ask your physician to change your prescription to a less costly one. The money you think you're saving won't be worth a penny if you end up in the hospital or worse.

Tips & Warnings

• Writer is not a medical professional nor claims to be one.
• Article is written as a suggestive tool only.
• Any changes to your therapy should be approved by a medical professional.