APhA kicks off American Pharmacists Month
WASHINGTON — October is recognized as American Pharmacists Month and the American Pharmacists Association wants to send a clear message: “Know Your Pharmacist—Know Your Medicine.” The more patients who know their pharmacists, the more they'll know about their medications — from documented successes to contraindications, according to the APhA.
Americans spend endless dollars every year on prescription and over-the-counter medications. When these medications aren't used properly, all that money is lost. Every year in the United States, failure to take medications as prescribed causes more than 1.5 million preventable adverse events and costs the healthcare system $290 billion, the APhA said. When patients feel comfortable reaching out to their pharmacists, the chance that medication errors occur decreases.
The APhA noted that many pharmacists offer an array of education, prevention and wellness services to help patients improve their health and reap the benefits of their medications. Some of the services include:
Advice and education on prescription and over-the counter medications, as well as herbal supplements, vitamins and minerals;
Annual medication reviews for adverse effects, effectiveness, interactions and adherence;
Care management and counseling for disease states such as diabetes, high blood pressure and high cholesterol;
Health maintenance counseling and guidance on smoking cessation, asthma care, nutrition management, exercise and physical activity instruction, body mass index (BMI) screenings, skin care and dental care;
Help with transitions of care from the hospital to the community pharmacy, including making sure patients understand new routines or potential interactions with old medications;
Prescription medication education on the purpose, interactions, adverse effects, timing and dosing of your prescription medications;
Seasonal and lifespan immunizations; and
Up-to-date personal medication records that include all medications, immunizations and health care providers.
The APhA also added that it's important to use the same pharmacy for all prescription services. This ensures that pharmacists have access to complete medication history when checking for problems and possible interactions.