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Your medications are personal – and having your prescriptions filled from a warehouse across the country by strangers is the opposite of personal. Choosing the right pharmacy for you and your family is as important as choosing the right doctor, and you should trust your health to someone who gets to know you.

National chain pharmacies often seem like the most convenient option for pharmacy care, and insurance companies may indicate they are the best or only choice for patients to use. In fact, they are owned and operated by billion-dollar conglomerates that prioritize their shareholders over their patients.¹

Patients deserve to be their pharmacy’s priority. Be the priority by choosing your local, community pharmacy. Looking for more reasons? Here’s five more.

Accurate and Reliable Care

When it comes to your health, it’s a priority that your medications are handled with accuracy and the utmost care. As chain pharmacies are often understaffed with overworked employees and have an increased number of medications to fill, more mistakes like miscalculations and misfiled information are likely to be made.

Mail-order pharmacy also comes with their fair share of risks with late refills, outdated information, and destroyed medications during shipment. On the other hand, independent community pharmacies with smaller, experienced staff are much less likely to make these mistakes, so you can order and pick up your medications with confidence.

According to a 2018 Consumer Reports Survey, “Independent pharmacies earned high scores on such measures as courtesy, helpfulness, and speed of checkout and filling prescriptions, as well as pharmacists’ knowledge and accuracy. At the bottom, large national chain pharmacies.”²

Affordable Care

A common misconception is that chain pharmacies offer the lowest available prices on medications. False! A 2018 Consumer Reports Survey reported that 21% of consumers reported that independent pharmacies recommended lower-cost medication solutions while only 9% reported chain pharmacies offered lower-priced options. In that same survey, consumers reported that chain pharmacies tended to have higher out-of-pocket prices.³

Community pharmacies know the struggles that their patients face, such as lack of insurance options and fixed income. In order to stay open, independent pharmacies strive to offer options that they know patients need.

Convenience

Often patients report that convenience is their top reason for choosing a chain pharmacy over an independent, but did you know independent community pharmacies can take convenience to the next level? Independent pharmacies have the flexibility to serve patients at the individual level by customizing each patient’s service to what they need.

Need a last-minute emergency refill? Community pharmacies are more likely to go out of their way to fill prescriptions faster.

Don’t have time to wait in pharmacy lines? Only 3% of independent pharmacy patients reported long wait times compared to 18% of chain pharmacy patients reporting the same. ³

Do you prefer the convenience of your medication being delivered to your home? This isn’t a service unique to chain pharmacies. Many independent pharmacies offer more convenient delivery options like home delivery, mail order, curbside, and drive-through—and they’ve been doing it for years.

Enhanced Services and Patient Education

Chain and mail-order pharmacies are often only able to provide you with your prescribed medications. Local, independent pharmacies take service to the next level by offering services to address your health as a whole. You can count on your local independent pharmacy to provide personalized supplement recommendations, access to a pharmacist who can answer any questions and address any issues you may have, and regular follow-ups to ensure you get the quality care that you deserve.

Need medication adherence help? Non-adherence to a medication regimen has been found to have significant financial costs (Cutler, Rachelle Louise et al. “Economic impact of medication non-adherence by disease groups: a systematic review.” BMJ open vol. 8,1 e016982. 21 Jan. 2018, doi:10.1136/bmjopen-2017-016982)—and beyond that, it can have a significant impact on treatment failures that are costly in other ways. (Kim, Jennifer, et al. “Medication Adherence: The Elephant in the Room.” US Pharmacist, vol. 1 (2018), 19 Jan. 2018, pp. 30–34., www.uspharmacist.com/) While chain pharmacies are providing medication packaging as an online-only service or phasing the service out entirely, independent pharmacies often step up to offer the medication packaging services their patients need.

Need customized medication? Most independent pharmacies offer some compounding services to tailor your medications to your specific needs or have a connection to another community pharmacy that can assist. Whether you have allergies to certain ingredients in your medication or need a different dosage form or strength, you can often count on an independent pharmacy to help.³

Need extra one-on-one guidance? Community pharmacists prioritize patient education by working one-on-one with their patients to explain the “why” and “how” of their prescriptions, simplifying medication regimens, checking for drug interactions, creating wellness plans to ensure each patient reaches their health goals, and more. Independent pharmacists also work closely with patients’ providers to have the most up-to-date information on both sides so that patients receive the best possible care.

If you think you would benefit from a medication review, ask our local pharmacy team about scheduling a consultation today.

Support Your Community

Choosing your local independent pharmacy means directly supporting your local community. While making quality care accessible to their communities, independent pharmacies also help their communities thrive economically by generating jobs and tax revenue and playing a major role through civic contributions.⁴

Not only do independent pharmacies support their local communities, the money you spend at the pharmacy stays in the community.

From accurate and reliable care to enhanced services and affordability, choosing a community pharmacy is the obvious choice. As an independent pharmacy patient, you can rest assured know you are the priority — not a script number without a name. Choose local by supporting an independent pharmacy.

Sources

1. https://www.truthrx.org/patientinformation

2. https://www.consumerreports.org/pharmacies/consumers-still-prefer-independent-pharmacies-consumer-reports-ratings-show/)

3. https://www.consumerreports.org/money/pharmacies/buying-guide/

4. 2021 NCPA Digest, sponsored by Cardinal Health

Antibiotics are an essential part of treatment for many infections and can save lives, but any time antibiotics are used, they can cause side effects and contribute to the development of antibiotics resistance. In U.S. doctors’ offices and emergency departments, at least 28% of antibiotic courses prescribed each year are unnecessary, which makes improving antibiotic prescribing and use a national priority. (1) Antibiotics are medicines that fight bacterial infections by either killing the bacteria or making it difficult for the bacteria to grow and multiply. (2)

Antibiotics ONLY treat certain infections caused by bacteria, such as:

Strep throat
Whooping cough
Urinary tract infection (UTI)
Sepsis

Antibiotics DO NOT work on viruses and some common bacterial infections, such as:

Colds and runny noses
Sore throats (except strep throat)
Flu
Chest colds such as bronchitis
Sinus infections
Some ear infections

The Importance of Antibiotic Compliance

It’s important to use antibiotics only when they are needed, and to use them properly. The misuse of antibiotics can be categorized as taking the wrong antibiotic, taking the wrong dose of an antibiotic, or taking an antibiotic for the wrong length of time. (2) When antibiotics are needed, the benefits usually outweigh the risks of side effects. It’s very important that you take the correct dose for the entire length that was prescribed by your doctor.

One of the most common reasons for stopping antibiotic use prematurely is that patients feel better and think they no longer have to take their medication. Straying from the instructions on an antibiotic prescription not only can lead to a flare-up of the infection, but also to the development of resistance bacteria.

Antimicrobial Resistance

Antimicrobial resistances happens when germs like bacteria and fungi can defeat the antibiotics designed to kill them. That means they aren’t killed and continue to grow. It does not mean our body is resistant to antibiotics or antifungals. Resistant infections can be difficult, and sometimes impossible, to treat. (3)

Antimicrobial resistance is a naturally occurring process but is accelerated when the presence of antibiotics or antifungals pressure bacteria and fungi to adapt. Antibiotics and antifungals kill some germs that cause infections, but they also kill helpful germs that protect our body. The resistant germs then survive and multiply and have resistance traits in their DNA that can spread to other germs. (4)

Resistant germs do not only affect you. Resistant germs can spread between people, animals, and the environment, and can cause deadly infections. Antimicrobial resistance has been found in every U.S. state. We all have a responsibility to act against antimicrobial resistance, including: (5)

Prevent infections in the first place by:
- Keeping your hands clean
- Getting vaccinated
- Using antibiotics appropriately
- Recognizing signs and symptoms of infections
- Practicing healthy habits around animals
- Preparing food safely
- Staying healthy when traveling abroad
- Preventing STDs
Improve antibiotic and antifungal use.
Stop the spread of resistance when it does happen.

Side Effects of Antibiotics

Another common reason for stopping antibiotic use early is experiencing negative side effects. Common side effects of antibiotics include: (7)

Digestive problems such as nausea, indigestion, vomiting, diarrhea, bloating, loss of appetite, and stomach pain or cramping
Fungal infection
Yeast infections
Drug interactions
Sensitivity to the sun
Staining of skin, nails, teeth, and bones

A patient should always speak with their pharmacist about possible side effects and how best to take their antibiotics, as some are recommended to take with food to avoid possible digestive issues. If you experience any side effects, call your doctor right away to discuss possible alternative therapy.

More rare and severe side effects could include anaphylaxis. Signs of anaphylaxis include:

Rapid heartbeat
Hives or a red, itchy rash
Feelings of uneasiness and agitation
Tingling sensations and dizziness
Swelling of the face, mouth, and throat
Rapid swelling of the lips
Severe wheezing, coughing, or trouble breathing.
Low blood pressure
Fainting
Seizures

Anaphylaxis can be fatal without immediate emergency care. If you suspect anaphylaxis, call 911 immediately. (7)

U.S. Antibiotic Awareness Week

U.S. Antibiotic Awareness Week is observed November 18-24, 2023. It is an annual one-week observance that raises awareness of the importance of proper antibiotic use to combat the threat of antimicrobial resistance.

One of the main goals of Antibiotic Awareness Week is to share the key messages of antibiotics. Those key messages are: (8)

Antibiotics can save lives. When a patient needs antibiotics, the benefits outweigh the risk of side effects.
Antibiotics do NOT treat viruses such as colds, flu, RSV, and COVID-19.
Antibiotics are only needed for treating certain bacterial infections, but even some bacterial infections get better without antibiotics.
An antibiotic will not make you feel better if you have a virus.
If an antibiotic is not needed, they won’t help you and the side effects could still cause harm.
Taking antibiotics can contribute to the development of antimicrobial resistance.
If you need antibiotics, take them exactly as prescribed.
Talk with your healthcare provider if you develop any side effects.
Do your best to stay healthy and keep others healthy. This helps reduce antibiotic use and fights antimicrobial resistance.
Antibiotics aren’t always the answer.

As always, if you ever have any concerns about an antibiotic that was prescribed to you, talk to your trusted local pharmacist! You can also use the CDC’s Antibiotic Knowledge test found here https://www.cdc.gov/antibiotic-use/quiz.html.

Sources:

https://www.cdc.gov/antibiotic-use/index.html
https://www.cdc.gov/antibiotic-use/q-a.html
https://www.cdc.gov/drugresistance/about.html
https://www.cdc.gov/drugresistance/about/how-resistance-happens.html
https://www.cdc.gov/drugresistance/protect-yourself-family.html
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4269991/#:~:text=Antimicrobial%20resistance%20results%20from%20inappropriate,required%20to%20prevent%20antimicrobial%20resistance.
https://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/322850#rare-side-effects
https://www.cdc.gov/antibiotic-use/week/toolkit.html

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