How to Get the Most out of Your Pharmacy Visit

Your pharmacy can be more than just a place to pick up a prescription; instead, think of your pharmacist as a valuable member of your healthcare team. Pharmacists can answer questions about your medications, recommend over-the-counter treatments and provide monitoring services or home-monitoring advice for conditions such as diabetes and high blood pressure. Pharmacists are also required to stay up-to-date on the newest medications, treatment options and healthcare laws. Keeping your pharmacist updated on your healthcare information and voicing any questions or concerns can help you get the most out of your next pharmacy visit.

Instructions

• 1

  Provide your pharmacist with a complete list of prescription medications, nonprescription medications and supplements you take regularly. This can help your pharmacist determine potentially dangerous interactions between medications.

• 2

  Update your pharmacist on any personal information that may have changed, including insurance information, allergies or negative side effects you have experienced with any prescription or nonprescription medications. Also tell your pharmacist if you are pregnant or planning to conceive.

• 3

  Ask the pharmacist any questions you have about your medications. These may include what the drug is for, how and when it should be taken, what its side effects are, whether it's available in a generic version (which may be cheaper) and whether it may interact with any other medicines or supplements you are taking. Your pharmacist can also advise you on over-the-counter medications and supplements.

• 4

  Check your medications before leaving the pharmacy. Make sure that you understand how the medication is to be administered and that you have everything you need to administer it. If the prescription is a refill, make sure it looks the same as the medication you received the last time the prescription was filled.

• 5

  Call the pharmacist back during pharmacy hours if you have any questions after you pick up your prescription. Understanding how to take your medications properly is important to your health, and your pharmacist is there to help you with this.