Most people think of their pharmacist as someone who counts pills and dispenses them into bottles. Talk about an understatement. The person who stands behind the counter has access to your entire medication history, has knowledge of what medicines do not mesh well and even recognizes issues missed by your physicians. Here’s what’s truly going on every time you drop off your prescription.
Your Pharmacy Keeps a Running Tab on Everything You Take
Each prescription you fill is entered into a system that monitors more than just what you’re currently taking. A pharmacy database reveals what you’ve taken before, when you last took something, how long it’s been since you’ve last refilled and if you’re consistently returning for your refills. This is important because trends tell stories.
For example, if one patient keeps returning every month like clockwork to refill their blood pressure medication, chances are it works. But if another patient gets a three-month supply and doesn’t return for six months, there’s an issue with compliance. Pharmacists notice these trends. And good pharmacists will ask about them if something seems amiss.
There are also systems that automatically alert them of potential problems. When a physician sends something in new, the pharmacist pulls it up and checks against everything else on file. They are alerted of dangerous interactions before they fill it. This happens in more situations than you think, especially for patients who see multiple specialists who may prescribe different medications without knowing their comprehensive history.
They’re Catching Mistakes That Doctors Make
Doctors are people. They prescribe the wrong dose, forget that a patient is already on a certain medication or provide a prescription contrary to what the patient said three months ago. They’re only human, but pharmacists are working daily to catch these errors before patients face negative repercussions.
For example, someone gets prescribed a blood thinner after heart surgery but mentions they were prescribed aspirin and an NSAID for arthritis pain. This combination can lead to bleeding complications. A pharmacist catches it and calls the doctor to sort things out or suggests an alternative. But this happens behind the scenes; patients rarely know it occurred, but it saves them from going to the hospital.
Dosing mistakes happen, too, 50mg of something versus 5mg or 5mg versus 50mg. The pharmacist looks at the dose and thinks that’s not plausible for that diagnosis and makes a phone call before anyone takes too much (or too little). For patients with multiple comorbidities, working with Thornhill’s pharmacy professionals ensures this safety net is maintained since they have comprehensive records of medications and note how all medications interact together.
The Questions They Ask Are Not Just Small Talk
When a pharmacist inquires whether you have any questions regarding your medication, they’re not just asking to be polite. They’re checking to see if you understand what you’ve been given and, more importantly, asking follow-up questions that dive deeper into what they need to know.
For example, “Have you taken this before?” signals whether you’ve had adverse effects in the past. “Are you taking this with food?” lets the pharmacist know if you understand how to take it properly; “Do you have any new symptoms?” alerts the pharmacist that there may be an adverse effect that needs reporting. These aren’t scripted; they’re assessments.
Many pharmacists will ask about over-the-counter medications and supplements, again, not because they’re nosy, but because St. John’s Wort can decrease the efficacy of birth control pills, antacids can interfere with thyroid medication, and grapefruit juice works against hundreds of common drugs. Pharmacies need to know everything in order to help save you from issues.
They Know What You’re Not Filling
This may come as a surprise, but pharmacists notice when you don’t fill your prescription. For example, if your doctor sends in three prescriptions and you’ve only picked up two, that’s noted. If you’re supposed to be on a medication regimen but have not filled your maintenance medication in months, that’s questioned.
Sometimes this is due to cost. Sometimes this is due to side effects overwhelming someone who didn’t communicate this with their doctor to take them off the hook for the medication. Sometimes it’s forgetfulness. But whatever the reason, a good pharmacist will reach out and inquire about what’s happening. They may have an alternative (it’s too expensive; they can substitute; side effects from one thing might be too much).
The Insurance Battle They’re Fighting for You
Insurance companies deny prescriptions all the time. This costs too much, this isn’t on the list of medications approved, this needs prior authorization, you need to try something cheaper first or etc. Most patients never see these denials because the pharmacists handle them.
The pharmacy team calls the insurance company on your behalf, sends them appeals, calls your doctors for additional paperwork or looks for alternative options to get them through the day until another recommendation is found. Pharmacists know what generic substitutions exist, what medications have patient assistant programs and how to navigate through prior authorization requests.
This can take hours, and it’s done in the background while you’re either waiting for your medication or leaving the pharmacy without knowing it even occurred.
They’re Tracking Drug Recalls and Updates
Medications are recalled. Dosage requirements change. New warnings emerge about side effects that weren’t known back when the medicines were introduced into society. Pharmacists are constantly tracking this information and cross-referencing it against their patient population.
When a medication gets recalled, it’s not enough for a pharmacist to assume someone will hear about it on social media or online news forums. Instead, they pull their records to find out who was given what and start making calls; they arrange for replacements; they talk to insurance companies and make sure patients don’t continue taking something that’s not on the shelves any longer.
The same goes for new safety processes: when the FDA reminds everyone about a drug interaction that negatively impacts something else that was previously fine for decades, the pharmacist pulls their records and reaches out to those patients to proactively inform them, not reactively when it’s too late.
What This Means for You
Recognizing what pharmacists do impacts how you’ll benefit from using them as a resource for you. They’re not just your last stop before heading back to your doctor (although they are crucial), but they’re experts in medications who spend entire careers learning about drug-drug interactions, drug-side-effect interactions, proper use and administrative courses.
Ask questions. Tell them about side effects you’re experiencing. Talk to them if you’re having difficulties affording something. Let them know everything. The more information they have on hand, the more they can protect you from issues.
Most importantly, use one pharmacy consistently when possible. Splitting prescriptions means no one pharmacist has your entire profile, and that’s part of what’s beneficial is that consolidated picture. The aggregate makes their oversight worthwhile.