Last week, my mom went to her local chain pharmacy to pick up a new prescription medication. While at the register, the pharmacist did not discuss the medication with her. Although he did ask if she had any questions, she did not know what questions to ask and left the pharmacy confused and unsure. Maybe he thought the physician had spoken to her about the medication (which, in fact, did not happen- she was not even told a prescription was being sent to the pharmacy). Maybe he was not familiar with the medication and therefore did not feel comfortable speaking to her about it. Whatever the reason was, he failed my mom that day. This interaction deeply concerned me. My job as a pharmacist requires me to ensure that when customers leave the pharmacy, they feel comfortable and confident taking their medication as prescribed. How many customers leave pharmacies and either never start prescribed medications or take medications incorrectly because they had not received proper counseling?

Pharmacists have a duty to our customers to counsel on any new medication or therapy change. We are not expected to know everything about every medication, but we should be able to find an answer through a reputable source for our customers. We are always here to listen and offer advice to help our customers achieve the best possible health outcomes. Community pharmacists, especially independent community pharmacists like us at Oswald’s, are in a unique position where we have the opportunity to offer help, knowledge, and care to our customers on a regular basis. A more in-depth form of counseling that we will be starting to do at Oswald’s is called Medication Therapy Management (MTM). Our MTM sessions will be 30-minute, pre-scheduled consultations where we can discuss medication-related issues, medication schedules, OTC supplements, and even vaccines. The benefit to you is we review all your medications and supplements (we need a complete medication list when you schedule) and talk through adverse effects, adherence issues, possible duplicate therapies (this can be especially troublesome if you fill at multiple pharmacies) and even cost-saving alternatives. We even send a summary of the session to your doctor for continuity of care. A scheduled session will cost $30 for our undivided time and expertise.

We are excited to offer this new one-on-one service and are hoping it will truly make a difference in the health and lives of our customers. Please reach out to us here at Oswald’s for more information!      ꝶ