California Pharmacists Association Urges Consumers To Talk To Their Pharmacist During American Pharmacists Month

Main Category: Pharmacy / Pharmacist
Article Date: 13 Oct 2008 - 3:00 PDT

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This year alone more than one in every 200 Americans will experience injury or death because of medications. Many of these problems occur in a place we least expect - our homes. The home is where the most medications are taken with the least amount of medical supervision. American Pharmacists Month provides patients and pharmacists with an opportunity to reduce this risk and improve medication outcomes through dialogue.

Recently, the U.S. House of Representatives passed a resolution designating October as American Pharmacists Month. In California, Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger issued a letter to CPhA in which he recognized the value of the pharmacy profession stating: "Pharmacists provide invaluable services to people throughout the nation by responsibly dispensing prescriptions, serving as informative resources and raising consumer awareness about the safe and effective use of prescription drugs. I salute you for your efforts to acknowledge and celebrate pharmacists' contributions to California and the United States."

Pharmacists are uniquely positioned to help patients minimize medication risks while ensuring that they gain maximum benefit. As a medication expert, they are also the last healthcare professional you see before taking a new medication. However, a survey by the American Pharmacists Association showed that nearly 70% of consumers do not know their pharmacist. "Knowing your pharmacist is an important first step in developing an environment that supports an open exchange of information," stated Lynn Rolston, chief executive officer of the California Pharmacists Association. "This is important because when it comes to medication errors, a little communication can go a long way to prevent harm."

Pharmacist-patient consultations are crucial. "Many people see the consultation as little more than a pharmacist reading the label, but in reality there's much more to this than meets the eye," states Michael Negrete, Pharm. D. and chief executive officer of the Pharmacy Foundation of California.

"When the pharmacist is reading the label, they are actually doing one final check to make sure the right medication was placed in the bottle and that the dosage and instructions for use are correct. You would be amazed at how many errors are prevented by this simple exercise."

CPhA and its sister company, the Pharmacy Foundation of California, encourage patients to perform these simple tasks to ensure the safe use of their medications:

1. Make sure your pharmacist tells you the name and purpose of your medication and that it matches what your doctor told you.

2. After the pharmacist reads you the label, tell them how you actually plan to take the medication at home (time of day, with or without meals, etc) and ask if that is ok.

3. Make sure your doctor or pharmacist knows about ALL of the medications you take (including herbals and over-the-counter medications) AND that they have checked to make sure your new medication won't cause a reaction with any of your other medications or health conditions.

4. Read the written information that is given to you with your prescription BEFORE you start taking it and AGAIN one to two months later to help you remember what kinds of side effects you should expect and tests you should have.

The California Pharmacists Association is the largest state pharmacy association in the nation and the professional society representing all pharmacists in California. The mission of the Association is to act as the leader in advocating the role for the pharmacist as an essential provider of health care and to support pharmacists in providing optimal patient care. For more information about CPhA visit http://www.cpha.com.