I am a pharmacist. I work in a small independent store. Although I have not worked in a large chain pharmacy, I can tell you from talking with many other pharmacists that as a profession our problems and concerns are all pretty much the same. In a small pharmacy we do have a bit more of a chance to talk to our patients than our large-chain counterparts, but not much more. Almost every pharmacist I know would like to be doing a better job under better circumstances.

The first thing many people may not understand is the function of the people behind the counter. There are usually three types of people in a pharmacy: the pharmacists, the pharmacy technicians and the clerks. The technician can answer the phone, take refills, enter prescriptions into the computer and count the medications. They will alert the pharmacist if the computer flags any potential drug interactions or other problems; in the end of the process it must be the pharmacist who checks the prescription before it is dispensed. That is the law. Technicians can also help patients find over-the-counter items; help solve insurance problems, put away drug orders etc. In any given day, they will do all of those things, often interrupting one task to do another.

Clerks are usually support staff there to run the register, stock over-the-counter medications, answer the phone and be a liaison between the patient and the pharmacy staff. They can’t answer medical questions but can refer you to the pharmacist for the answer.

The pharmacist is the person most in demand. We are required by law to be there for the store to be open. No medication can be dispensed unless a pharmacist has checked it. We are required to counsel any patient that does not refuse the counseling. We take phone-in prescriptions from doctor’s offices. We must be constantly on the lookout for fraudulent prescriptions, which is a big problem. We answer patient questions over the phone and in the store. We recommend over-the-counter remedies for all kinds of ailments. We often have to handle insurance problems: drug changes due to formularies, drugs not covered by certain plans, refills too soon, etc. When medications are unavailable due to manufacturing problems we must find suitable alternatives. (In some stores, pharmacists even run blood pressure checks, blood glucose monitoring clinics, and administer flu shots.)

All of these functions and more are routine work for the pharmacist and usually more than one thing must be done at a time to try to keep the work moving at the pace demanded by today’s patients. It is very common for a pharmacist to only get to go to the restroom once or twice in a 10-hour shift and to never get a break to eat. If we get to eat at all, it is a bite between phone calls or checking prescriptions. In smaller independent stores, this is also true for the technicians.

So, now you know a bit about the function of the people you see behind the counter. Let’s now look at filling some prescriptions that you just brought from your doctor’s office for the terrible cough and fever you have. Your doctor was running an hour behind and now you are anxious to get your prescription filled and get home to fix dinner. It’s 4:30 in the afternoon when you arrive at the pharmacy and present your prescriptions to the clerk. Several people are already milling about, obviously waiting also. You are told it will be a bit, as there are several people in front of you.

The prescriptions you have handed in are given to the technician. They are read for patient name, drug name, quantity of drug and any obvious errors. They are then entered into your profile on the computer where the drug interaction programs look for any problems between the medications you already take and the new ones just prescribed.

The computer has spotted a drug interaction, so the technician must wait for the pharmacist to evaluate the potential problem before they can continue. Work on your prescription has just stopped. The pharmacist is checking several prescriptions for a person who was waiting there before you. She will look at the computer in just a moment. In the meantime another technician has answered the phone and there is a patient on the line who wants to ask a question. They will hold until the pharmacist is available. A second line rings and it is a doctor’s office needing to phone in a prescription. They will hold until the pharmacist is available. Your prescription is still waiting on the computer. The pharmacist takes the call from the doctor’s office.

The technician has the next set of prescriptions ready for the pharmacist to check. After doing that, the pharmacist is able to glance at the computer and must make a quick judgment about the potential interaction. Deciding there won’t be a problem she tells the technician to continue filling. Finally yours is being worked on again! After getting all of your prescriptions entered into the computer and through your insurance, the technician informs the pharmacist that your prescriptions are ready to be checked. The pharmacist nods, as she is now on the phone with the person who had called with a question. She will get to yours in a moment.

..to continue see post II

Online pharmacy sites offering generics have a very reasonable cost, faithful and fast deliveries as well as security concerning your private information. That said, one might get the impression that this is a complicated process and that some customers might be scared away, but it is actually a very easy step-by-step process that most people are very comfortable with. Last but not least, the news about how you got it and the items you bought from generic stores is a secret that other people won’t know about.

With trusted and highly secure mechanisms in place, it doesn’t matter whether you buy from a non-domestic pharmacy or a domestic one; the important point to remember is more and more most people are automatically turning to online stores to purchase their medications. Since this is a given, it is completely understandable that buyers turn to web-based generics stores for their generic alternative medications because there they don’t have to worry about being misguided. Besides being excellent with affordable pricing, they are available for everybody without prejudice regardless of nationality, the salary made or anything else. But this doesn’t mean that all online pharmacies are legitimate, and that there aren’t any other precautions left for you to take.

The best internet-based generics store is the one that lets people buy certain drugs, especially things like medication for erectile dysfunction, without the embarrassment that usually occurs when buying from a local pharmacy. One plus is that you get more even though the cost is less. Of course they do not have common overheads like leasing an office and paying salaries, giving them the advantage of passing these savings on to their customers.

Being labeled as cheap drugs does not keep them from adapting the standard industry practices to protect your personal financial information; today, just about everyone uses the highly regarded and trusted payment gateways with SSL certificate to process your order. Many e-stores sell prescription medications by licensed and reputed manufacturers provided through strictly controlled domestic and overseas channels. No matter the kind of prescription you may need, you can be confident that the pharmacy will provide you with quality medicines and service by a licensed individual.

First, if the medication is only to be used for a brief time, ask your doctor if he can give you samples of the drug. Pharmaceutical salespeople sometimes leave samples with doctors, who will usually give them to you if you ask for them. You may need to ask about availability, as your doctor might not think to offer the samples.

If you will be taking a specific medication for an extended time and have a prescription insurance plan, make sure you understand exactly what your plan will cover. Your health insurance plan will keep a formulary, which is a list of certain medications that they prefer. Drugs on the list are usually less expensive than drugs that don’t appear on the list. If the medication your doctor prescribes does not appear on the formulary, ask for comparable medication that is on the list.

It is wise to use generic medications whenever you can. If you have to pay for your medications yourself, you can really save a great deal of money this way. If you use generic medications, you may have a lower co-pay from your prescription plan. Your doctor can help you determine whether a generic medication will work as well for you as a brand-name drug.

Mail-order programs are another option offered by many prescription drug programs. This can be an inexpensive and convenient way to obtain your medications. A 90-day supply frequently costs almost the same amount of money as a 30-day supply.

It isn’t always cheaper to use your insurance at your local pharmacy. Sometimes the insurance co-pay might be higher than the medication’s actual cost; in this case, your pharmacist can process the prescription without your insurance.

Many grocery stores or mass merchandisers print prescription coupons in their weekly circulars that can save you money. A new or transferred prescription may earn you a $10 or even $25 gift certificate to their store. Transferring a prescription usually entails a phone call to the new drugstore so that they can obtain the necessary information.

If you are still struggling to pay for your prescriptions, talk to your doctor about programs for low-income patients offered by the pharmaceutical industry. You can obtain the necessary paperwork at your physician’s office.