Getting to know your pharmacist

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Getting to know your pharmacist
For better health care

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Essential information

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Many people, when they visit their pharmacy, merely drop their prescription off at one window, and return to pick up their medication at the other window. But did you know that your pharmacist can answer your questions and help you learn more about the drugs you take? Yes, that white-coated figure back there between the shelves is there to help.

Pharmacy technicians usually fill your prescriptions, but the pharmacist checks each one to be sure it’s the right medicine, the right dose and carries the right instructions. He/she also checks for problem interactions with food or other drugs you’re taking. He/she also talks to doctors and insurance companies.

Part of the pharmacist’s job is to be available to answer your questions and offer advice.

What are the pharmacy staff’s qualifications?
Most pharmacists have completed a four-year professional program and two years of pre-med-type undergraduate courses, says Laura Pizzi, PharmD, a professor at Jefferson Medical College in Philadelphia. They’re trained in the scientific aspect and the treatment of patients.

Pharmacy technicians, on the other hand, may have vocational training or none at all. “They could have community college training in pharmacy operations and the technical aspects of filling prescriptions,” says Pizzi, “such as counting and generating labels. But, some have had only on-the-job training.”

Ask your questions of the pharmacist, rather than the pharmacy technicians, who aren’t qualified to provide professional advice.

What can I expect of my pharmacist?
Pharmacists are required by federal law to counsel patients receiving medications. Many people don’t notice, but the log you sign when you’re given your medication says that you have either received or declined counseling for that prescription. The technicians should ask you if you have any questions for the pharmacist.

Here are some examples of questions you can ask your pharmacist:

Is there a generic version and is it as effective as the brand name drug?
Does it matter what or when I eat with this medicine?
What side effects could I have?

What about mail-order pharmacies?
Meds-by-mail can save you money, and may offer more comprehensive consultation than most retail stores.

Medco, one of the leading mail-order pharmacies, has hundreds of pharmacists specially trained and certified in specific conditions and they have access to a member's prescription drug history. Consultation is available 24/7.

How can I get the most from my pharmacy service?
It’s important to buy all your medications at the same pharmacy. They maintain a database of the medications you have taken in the past and presently.
To avoid a long wait, ask your doctor to phone or fax the prescription. Call ahead to see if your medicine is ready for pickup before you come in. If possible, get your prescription filled on weekdays, before the after-work rush.

You may get more personal service at a smaller, low-volume store. But, if the store is not in your insurance plan’s network, you may pay a little more.

“Your pharmacist wants to talk with you,” says Pizzi. “It makes their job more rewarding.”

The American Pharmacists Association has more information.