Pharmacists generally are underutilized health professionals. With clinical doctorates as the degree now needed to practice, pharmacists have undergone years of extensive training in medications, diseases, and public health. Pharmacists are the medication experts. Please do not hesitate to ask questions of your pharmacist about prescription and over-the-counter medications. They are knowledgeable about possible drug interactions and side effects, but they also know much more about the nuances of medications that will help you achieve the best possible outcome from taking them. This includes storage, times to take them, certain foods to avoid or use with the medication, how exercise and exposure to sunlight might effect your medication, and so much more. In fact, if your pharmacist is not welcoming of such questions and interaction, find a different one!
Pharmacists also provide immunizations, are involved in proper disposal of unused meds, health screenings, education, and a variety of issues affecting health. Please consider this for your own health needs and also consider talking with one or more pharmacists or pharmacy educators about what they might be able to do to promote preventive care or healthy living by your entire company or organization.
Finally, please support SB 493, which allows pharmacists to be recognized formally as health providers to even further incentivize and enhance their roles to promote health. The bill does not promote pharmacists' prescribing or other things that should be performed by a physician. It simply allows pharmacists and other health care providers the ability to help meet other needs.
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