“Who knows their pharmacists name?” Shane Reeves, Pharm.D. and co-owner of Reeves-Sain, asked at last weeks Fearless Caregiver Conference. Turns out….not many. “We know our doctors, our veterinarians, our baby-sitters…but not the folks who give us pills to put into our bodies.”
There are many benefits that come from developing a relationship with your pharmacist. The best one?
“You’re much more likely to ask a question of someone you know. Many errors – from getting the wrong medication to confusion about how to take the right medication – can be fixed by just making sure you ask the right questions.”
Pharmacists may also know of cost saving programs sponsored by the pharmaceutical companies or generic drugs that may save you money. “Most people think the reason medications don’t get filled is the patient can’t afford them. That’s actually the number two reason. The number one reason patients don’t get their medications filled is because they don’t think they really need them.“ Talking to your pharmacist will help you understand exactly what a drug does and why you need it.
“One common mistake is to stop taking a drug before you’re supposed to because you ‘feel better.’
Certain drugs need to maintain a constant level in your body to be effective, and stopping them without consulting your doctor or pharmacist can harm you and even send you to the hospital.”
Making sure you ask the right questions is a small investment of time that can have a great payoff. A patient once received a 90 day supply of a drug from a pharmacist that insisted she follow the instructions very carefully. When she opened the bottle at home, she noticed three packets on top of her pills inscribed with the caution ‘Do Not Eat.’ Three days later, she called the pharmacist asking permission to start eating. The packets were desiccants designed to absorb moisture – not part of the pill taking instructions.
Upcoming blogs will discuss the Seven Questions you should always ask your pharmacist. Ever asked your pharmacist a question that really helped? Please let us know! In the meantime, get to know your pharmacist, remember Reeves-Sain is here to be a resource for you, and.
…don’t eat the desiccants!
Tags: Caregiver, Medication management, MediPACK, Reeves Sain
