13 Things Your Pharmacist Won't Tell You

If you want to be treated like more then a number, go to an independent drug store. I worked for one for over 7 years and knew most of my customers on a first name basis. Most answer the phone instead of using a machine. It's just nice to get that real old time customer service that you just don't see these days. http://www.your-onlinepharmacy.com

This is good general information. They forgot to mention that one can buy great quality medications from online pharmacies. I have purchased from such a pharmacy - called www.TownDrugStore.com. I found the staff to be quite knowledgeable and you can't believe the savings. http://towndrugstore.com

One more thing...it is true that some states do not require technicians to be certified, but it is moving in the direction of all states making it mandatory. In some places, you may have a high-schooler as your tech. Regardless, your pharmacist should be the last check...the last person to lay eyes on your medication before it is finally handed over to you. Being a person who has been on both ends (a tech and a pharmacist) I know that techs do all the dirty work and a lot of times are underappreciated. Your techs can make or break you, just like doctors and their nurses.

I was absolutely shocked that a pharmacy would give me a bottle with med that has the seal removed. Is this legal and safe.
dw

So who is responsible for generics ? If the meds arent as strong as the name brand why prescribe them? So you will get only a little better!This doesnt sound legal to me.

i particularly like your drive-thru comment..it does seem that customers have no idea what goes on behind the counter...constant phone calls about stupid stuff.."do you sell Tylenol?"..how much is it?...BRING A FIVE DOLLAR BILL AND YOU SHOULD HAVE ENOUGH..GEEZE..all people care about is how long and how much..hurry..hurry..hurry..that is all i hear..UNTIL A MISTAKE IS MADE...WELL if stupids would not call about how much "Tylenol" is i might would have time to fill an Rx..

The way to save 90% of the headaches is to call your refill in 2 to 3 days before you go to pick it up.
Monday is the busiest day.
A large part of generics are made by the brand name company or the subsidary of said company. Just compare brand Prevacid with Sandoz generic brand, same capsule (it even says Prevacid on it) the printing with change once the approved labeling is done. The FDA mandates everything.
Every batch/lot of brand name medication can vary by the previous brand by the exact same percent that generic can vary from brand names.
Do you think that every time you make the same chocolate cake receipe it comes out exactly as the previous cake?!? There are always variances.

this is awesome. i work as a tech at CVS and it's beyond true. couldn't be happier to see this article

Generics are FDA approved and save a lot of people a lot of money. One case that was on the evening news, a $400.00 a month drug was replaced by an 8.00 doctor approved generic!
Newer drugs become available for generic replacement as the patents expire that maj. pharm. hold. Many patents were due to expire except the health care bill, just recently past, gave them a 12 yr. extention to the maj. pharm. co's existing patent dates.
Sadly, as the baby boom population ages, the generic replacement program had this set back, forcing this group to have no alternative except to purchase the more expensive drugs.
For years, Maj. Pharm. has been a big contributor to Harry Reid, who wrote the H.C. bill.
They also were a big campaign contributor to Barrack Obama for Prez.

Actually, your pharmacist is dying to tell you most of these. As a student pharmacist, soon to be a PharmD, I can tell you that we WANT you to know about your medications, we WANT you to know that we can't put speed ahead of your safety, and we WANT you to know that we can immunize and provide valuable medication information and that we can help you get better care.

As for the "your prescription may be filled by a less qualified technician," that's misleading. Technicians are a valuable asset to a pharmacy, and they perform many of the computer duties and even may fill the bottles with medication, but before that prescription leaves the pharmacy, it MUST be checked by a licensed pharmacist. We assure that it's the right person, the right drug, the right strength, the right doctor, the right directions, the right date, etc... (Seem like a lot to verify? It is! That's why it will NOT be done by the technician, but by the pharmacist who has at least 4 to 6 YEARS of specialized education.)

Ask your pharmacist what the cash price is for a prescription you take on a regular basis. My insurance company only allows me to get one month at a time even though I've been on this medication for over ten years. By paying cash, I can get three months at a time and it is significantly cheaper, i.e. $20 co-pay for one month; $42.00 cash for three months. It's worth checking out!

as a pharmacy tech for the last 6 years I can not impress upon people enough to USE 1 PHARMACY! It might save your life. If you have prescriptions at CVS, Rite-Aid and Wallgreen's there is no way for us to track all those or catch possible interactions.

#13 is also big, you get much better service if you don't treat me like dirt every time that you come in. If you're nice we have no problem going above and beyond or waiting on you quickly, but the meaner you are the less I want to do and the slower I do it. Would you treat your doctor that way? I think not.

Hank Johnson said that if you use too many generics Walgreens will tip over and capsize.

I like how every story on the pharmacy I read always talks about how "untrained" pharmacy technicians are. Seriously?! Most places are not that bad. I work at Walgreens as a senior PTCB certified technician. Just to become a regular technician, I had to do DAYS worth of training modules, as well as be trained by the pharmacist and senior technician in the pharmacy. To become a senior technician, they required me pass the national PTCB test which is even more learning.

As far as, why do they have a drive thru if they don't like them, below. It's not that we don't like the drive-thru, it's we get frustrated by people who use the drive thru like it's a McDonalds. It's not. Everyday I have people come up and say, I want it now. Um...no...Unless you want to get hurt/die, you're going to wait at least 10-15 minutes and come back around (NOT WAIT in the drive-thru, blocking others) so we can SAFELY fill your rx. The drive thru is there as a convenience for those who can't come in (elderly, broken leg, sick kid in the car, etc.).

Also, about the customer service comment, if you can find a small store in a chain, it's just the same. My store fills under 200 scripts a day at times (which is slow), and we know the names of most of our regulars. I think in busier stores, it just gets too hard. Which is why independent stores know your name most of the time, because they're not as busy.

PSS.
Wegmans does NOT SELL CIGARETTES....way to go Wegmans!!!!...
I am not sure about Wallgreens.....but again better caring service......

Mo, that is your job..not mine!

This is supposed to be good advice? "12. Look into the $4 generics offered by chains like Target, Kroger, and WALMART????. " Walmart???

Who in their right mind would trust a pharmacy that imports its drugs from CHINA?? Walmart doesn't give a hoot what it sells or how toxic its imports from China are; all Walmart cares about is making an easy buck.

What is wrong with a pharmacy tech filling a script? Why is this spotlighted, there are many technicians who have been working in their jobs for a very long time and had specific training to perform the tasks including filling prescriptions. These individuals also work in IV rooms and have pharmacist oversight. It does not help to make them look inept.

I don't have much choice in the matter when it comes to generics. My insurance only pays for generics. Honestly, I'd rather take the brand name. I feel I can trust them more. But unless I want to pay out of pocket hundreds of dollars a month, then I'm stuck with generics.

I have never had a problem with a pharmacy, but i do always open the bottle and look and if different, I ask.