On Thanksgiving Day, families across the country will come together around dining room tables. Many will share a bountiful feast and give thanks for many blessings. What better time than the month of November to also give thanks for our customers?

We are particularly grateful this year: In the J.D. Power 2016 U.S. Pharmacy Study, Health Mart was ranked “Highest in Customer Satisfaction with Chain Drug Store Pharmacies.” We outpaced other “brick and-mortar” chain drug stores in four of five categories:

• Our stores
• Our cost competitiveness
• Our pharmacists
• Our non-pharmacy staff

The pharmacy study is now in its eighth year. This year, it was based on responses from 14,789 pharmacy customers who filled or refilled a prescription during the three months prior to the survey period of June 2016.

Personalized service. The survey also found that health and wellness services enhance customer satisfaction. We’re pleased by this finding. It validates the approach we use. This includes highly valued services such as consolidating medication pick-up, medication therapy management, and individualized disease health coaching.

This kind of personalized service is a contrast to the approach offered by many large chain drug stores. By contrast, we take the time to care for you and your family right in your community. We take the time to hear our patients and provide trusted advice to answer your health questions.

Trusted advice. Patients can trust the advice offered at their local Health Mart pharmacy. Our pharmacists’ extensive training and expertise can help set your mind at ease. That’s because you know you can rely on their considerable knowledge to provide informed care and help you achieve optimal results from your medications.

How do we do this? For one, we simplify the language of prescription coverage—making it easier to understand without compromising accuracy. We also provide clinical services that can help you stay well. And we partner, as needed, with health care providers to enhance the quality of your healthcare.

Customer loyalty. Personalized service plus trusted advice is clearly a winning combination. And, as seen in the J.D. Power 2016 U.S. Pharmacy Study, Health Mart is surpassing the industry average in customer loyalty.

We accomplish this in many ways. For example, we don’t treat you as a number. We know that you’re a unique person with unique needs, which we strive to address. We accept most insurance plans and make it easy to transfer prescriptions. It also helps that our locally owned pharmacies are a part of the community—close to where our patients work, shop, and live.

Again, thank you for honoring us with this award. It means a great deal to us. But awards or no, we’ll keep doing what we enjoy doing: delivering the very best care possible for our patients.

Nothing herein constitutes medical advice, diagnosis or treatment, or is a substitute for professional advice. You should always seek the advice of your physician or other medical professional if you have questions or concerns about a medical condition.

School is in session, and just like clockwork your 8-year-old starts sneezing, sniffling, and snorting - not to mention clearing her throat and blowing her nose like there’s no tomorrow. Poor thing!

What’s going on?
Chances are it’s allergies—the immune system’s abnormal reaction to a substance that would normally be quite harmless. 1 Up to 40 percent of children in the U.S. have nasal allergies.
How can you know for sure whether allergies are the culprit? One way is to have your child see the pediatrician, who may find clues in places like nasal mucous membranes. But the only way to identify specific triggers is to do allergy testing.
Outdoor allergens. Also known as hay fever, seasonal allergies often bring images of springtime sufferers, so common when many plants begin to bloom. In the fall, however, outdoor allergens such as ragweed and tumbleweed may also release tiny pollen and wreak major havoc - especially in the morning.
Indoor allergens. But that’s not all. In the fall, your child begins spending more time inside at school and home. That’s why many indoor allergens may then also rear their ugly heads. Here’s just a sample:

• Dust mites, a microscopic insect that lives in bedding, sofas, and carpets
• Mold
• Animal allergens such as fur, skin, feathers, or saliva
• Clothing and toys made or stuffed with animal hair
• Latex in rubber gloves, toys, or balloons, as well as in the elastic found in clothing.

Avoiding triggers. You don’t have a lot of control over indoor allergens at school. But there certainly are some things you can do to protect your child. Here’s a small sample of steps you can take:

• Use air conditioners and keep windows closed in your car and at home to reduce exposure to pollen.
• Have your child avoid playing in piles of dead leaves if mold allergies are a problem.
• Take steps to reduce mold growth in the home. For example, fix leaky plumbing, remove bathroom carpets, and control indoor humidity.
• Vacuum upholstered furniture and wash linens weekly and other bedding every 1 to 2 weeks in hot water.
• Limit stuffed animals in the bedroom. Yes, I know... That might be a tough sell.
• Replace pillows every 2 to 3 years.
• Encase pillows, mattresses, and comforters in special covers that keep dust mites out.

Avoiding triggers is the best way to prevent the symptoms of allergies. But keep in mind that it can take three to six months to see an improvement in symptoms once indoor triggers are removed.

Talk time. Sometimes avoiding triggers is not enough to control symptoms. Before you stock up on loads of over-the-counter drugs, however, swing by and have a talk with me. I can point you to products in our store and guide you on their use. Also, make sure to have a conversation with your child’s pediatrician. Sometimes allergy testing or prescription medications are needed to bring real relief.

Nothing herein constitutes medical advice, diagnosis or treatment, or is a substitute for professional advice. You should always seek the advice of your physician or other medical professional if you have questions or concerns about a medical condition.