Pharmacy Fact Friday

Did you know a pharmacist is the most accessible health care professional?

Picture from apotex.com

In honor of October being American Pharmacists Month I am starting a new series on the blog titled, Pharmacy Fact Friday. The goal of this series will be to share tidbits of information about the pharmacy profession and provide you with the resources necessary to navigate your healthcare decisions.

Now let's discuss today's pharmacy fact. Are you aware that a pharmacist is the most accessible healthcare professional? Take a minute to think about this and ask yourself these questions.

• Can you go into a doctor's office without an appointment, ask to speak to the doctor, and he or she comes out within five minutes to answer your questions?
• Can you dial the number to the doctor's office and speak to a physician directly without waiting a long time?
• Are you able to walk into a physician's office and have someone assist you with managing your medications?

The answer to these questions is most likely no, unless you have a really good relationship with your physician.

Now think about your last trip to the pharmacy.

• Did you need an appointment to get your prescription filled?
• When you called the pharmacy were you able to speak with the pharmacist about your medication related questions?
• When you picked up your medication was the pharmacist able to answer the questions you had about your medication or illness?

The answers to these questions are no, yes and yes. A pharmacist is so accessible at some pharmacies you don't even have to get out of your car to speak to one! The next time you have questions related to your health don't overlook the value of a pharmacist. They can work with you to manage your medications, find ways to lower your prescription costs, provide educational information about ways to improve your health and help you set goals to possibly reach a point where you no longer need the medication you are taking.

This podcast: Pharmacist's Role in Diabetes Care Podcast from the Center for Disease Control discusses how the accessibility of a pharmacist is critically important in diabetes management for a patient.

Well that wraps up your first Pharmacy Fact Friday! I hope you enjoyed it and found it to be informative.

Have a great weekend!