Your Pharmacist Can Do More Than Fill Prescriptions

Pharmacists are experts at medicines. They can give you information about your prescriptions, including any side effects, dosages, and best times to take them.

Did you know a pharmacist can also give suggestions about over-the-counter (OTC) drugs such as cough syrup or decongestants, share tips about remembering your medicines, help find affordable options, and more?

Your pharmacist is a highly trained part of your medical care team and can be a great resource, shares Caroline Kosh, Pharm.D. of MUSC Health Primary Care in Summerville.

"Before I embarked on my career, I, too, thought pharmacists were limited to counting pills and had no idea how much they know and are trained to do!” says Kosh. Her favorite thing about being a pharmacist? “The relationships I build with my patients.”

Six Ways Your Pharmacist Can Help

1. Access, Availability, and Privacy

A pharmacist is often the most accessible health care provider on your health care team, says Kosh. “You can walk into any pharmacy and talk with a highly trained expert in the medical field at just about any time. Not many other professionals are available in that way.”

“We are medicine experts, so turn to us if you are having unexplained symptoms, side effects, or medical concerns,” says Kosh. “We can explain what to expect with each medicine, help you understand how to take it, what to do if you miss a dose, side effects to watch for, and when to call your doctor.”

Have you noticed many pharmacies have private counseling rooms? This is because pharmacies encourage questions from their customers and want to make sure you can talk freely about their concerns and needs in private. You can also call your pharmacist to get information over the phone.

2. Extensive Training

Pharmacists do more than just dispense pills! Their job is to help keep you healthy, and they are well trained for it. Pharmacists are now required to earn a doctorate of pharmacy, typically a four-year postgraduate degree. Many pharmacists complete additional residencies for even more comprehensive training.
“That means pharmacists are educated about treatments for diseases and conditions, pediatric medicines, adult medicines, and all things medicine-related, including dosing, side effects, toxicities, contraindications (reasons to avoid medications), correct indications, monitoring, drug interactions, and more,” says Kosh. “Our training allows us to help people with their medicines, but also to teach them how to manage their disease states.”

3. Guidance and Support as Part of Your Health Care Team

Your pharmacist helps support your health and well-being. “Our job is also about getting to know the patient and what’s important to them, and developing a longitudinal relationship, so they trust us as part of their health care team,” says Kosh.

Your pharmacist can let you know when to talk to your doctor or what you might be able to do at home to better manage your health condition and concerns. Your pharmacist can also confirm if you are up to date on your current immunizations or screenings.

Perhaps you take medicines prescribed by more than one doctor, along with OTC medicines, vitamins, or supplements. Your pharmacist can look at the overall picture and advise about combinations to avoid any interactions.

4. Help with Nonprescription Medicines

A pharmacist is also trained in commonly used OTC medications, herbal supplements, and vitamins. “Your pharmacist can help explain these products and what might be appropriate or useful to take based on your current health conditions, including the right dose, or if you should avoid any products,” says Kosh.

Suppose you or a family member has an allergy to medicines. In that case, your pharmacist can direct you to safe choices and offer info about necessary screenings and preventative steps (think immunizations, cancer screenings, etc.). “We can also help if you have a sick child and want to know how to treat a fever when to expect relief from symptoms, and if/when to proceed to a doctor,” says Kosh.

5. Affordable Options

Pharmacists can help you find affordable options, including generic medicines. Your pharmacist can call your doctor with recommendations and arrange for your prescription to be changed to something you can afford. Your pharmacist may also have advice about patient assistance or manufacturer copay cards that can help cut costs.

I’ve noticed that some patients think buying generic medicines is the same as buying a knock-off purse, but it doesn’t work that way in the medication world,” says Kosh. “A generic medicine is just as effective as the brand name drug, at a fraction of the cost.”

6. Additional Support

Pharmacists can also help:

• Tell you what to do if you miss a dose.
• Give tips on how to store medicines, such as keeping them in the fridge or away from heat. (Because of steam and heat, the bathroom is not the best place.)
• Suggest best times and ways to take your medicines, such as with food or on an empty stomach.
• Tell you if you can crush tablets or break them in half.
• Share ideas for improving the taste of medicines for your child.
• Help you weigh the risks and benefits of a medication.

Expert Tips

Kosh suggests ways to make the most of your visit to the pharmacy:

• Keep an updated list of your medicines handy, with name, strength, dose, and prescriber. Compare the names of prescriptions you are picking up to your list to be sure you’re getting the correct medicine. Pharmacies are not usually alerted to medication changes, so update your pharmacist to be sure you get the right prescription filled.
• Try to use just one pharmacy or pharmacy chain to fill all your prescriptions. The pharmacist will be better informed about drug interactions and more because your patient profile, history, and records are in a common computer database.
• Get rid of old medicines to avoid confusion and errors. Talk to your pharmacist about how to best discard medicines you no longer take. Flushing them down the toilet is outdated! Some pharmacies have disposal services. Local police departments offer a “medication take-back day” each year.
• When asking a pharmacist for advice, share all information on the topic, even if you think it isn’t relevant. This can help us help you better.