Pharmacy
About Us
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs) to Ask Your Pharmacist
Q: Am I speaking to a pharmacist or a technician?
A: Only a pharmacist is a trained drug information
expert. Be sure that the advice you are receiving about your medications
comes
from the pharmacist.
Q: How long will I have to wait to have my prescription filled?
 |
|
Did You Know…
The word pharmacy can mean the
person who dispenses drugs, as well as the place
in which drugs are dispensed.
|
|
 |
A: Assuming you are a walk-in customer, all three Strong Health
outpatient pharmacies try to fill a prescription within 20
minutes, but due to the work load, this is not always possible.
To avoid
delays, you can call ahead so that the prescription will be
ready to be picked up.
Q: How much is my co-pay?
A: You can check out the prescription co-pays
if you have one of these insurance plans:
Q. I know what to ask my doctor, but kinds of things should I
be asking my pharmacist?
A. If you are new to a medication you might want
to know:
- What is this medication designed to do to me?
- How will it
function in my body?
- Who should or should not be using this drug?
- How will my use
of this medication be monitored?
- When do I start taking them?
- When do I stop taking them?
Q: If I get confused about what I can eat and not eat and certain
side effects with my prescription, what should I do?
A: All four Strong Health outpatient pharmacies
have a designated quiet area for person and confidential consultations
for patient
and pharmacist discussions.
Q: How are the Strong Health outpatient pharmacies different from
a regular pharmacy?
A: Our staff in all four facilities represent a
knowledge base with specialty prescriptions not routinely found
in community
pharmacies. Hospitals are different. On a daily basis we serve
the pharmacy
needs for transplant procedures, HIV, hepatitis, severe mental
illness, and other complicated conditions. We also offer specialty
pharmaceuticals by (compounding) right in Strong Memorial Hospital.
Q: What about generic drugs?
A: Generic drugs are an excellent way to help avoid spiraling
medical costs. Generics are approved and endorsed by the government.
In
other words, generic prescriptions are just as safe and as effective
as brand name drugs and, in fact, have been found to have fewer
recalls.
Q: Tell me how pharmacies prevent accidents when they dispense
drugs?
A: Technology has helped a great deal preventing
accidents. For example, the robot we use in the hospital pharmacy
doesn’t
look as much like fat little man as a big computer, but being a
robot it can’t make is mistake. Robots like this one are
fairy common in sophisticated pharmacies because they’re
tireless, round the clock workers for repetitive tasks. Our robot
holds approximately 200 different drugs which the robot automatically
counts, labels and dispenses 24x7. Bar coding is another new
way pharmacies are preventing accidents in matching prescriptions
for medications.
Q: I’ve heard that there’s a shortage of trained pharmacists
nationwide, is that true?
A: Our close association with two schools of pharmacy in New York
State helps us attract and maintain a talented work force. It’s
true, however, that nationwide there is a serious lack of qualified
people in the industry. The demand for pharmacists and trained
technicians is acute because, in part, aging baby boomers are living
longer than their parents and more aggressive therapies (including
transplants) that require more sophisticated services from the
outpatient pharmacy.
Q: I live in a house with no children in it, why do I have to
suffer with those “child proof” caps when I want to
take my medicine?
A: Tell your pharmacist and request no child proof caps on all
of your medications.
Q: My course of treatment requires hypodermic needles (household
sharps). How do I safely get rid of used household sharps?
A: The Strong Health Pharmacy is a designated (safe
disposal) site of household
sharps.
The FREE Collection Service is located just off the Main Lobby
at the back door of the Strong Pharmacy. There is also a safe
disposal drop box for after hours use.
Q. What does it take to be an excellent pharmacist?
A. Information. No professional has more access to understanding
today’s drug information than a good pharmacist. The age-old
profession that even precedes ancient Greece has changed from
being product-centered to information gathering and education.
Pharmacists help people manage their diseases.
Q. What’s one of the quickest ways to land back in the hospital
following discharge?
A. Not taking medications as prescribed.
Q.My mother
puts all medications in the refrigerator. Should all medications
be refrigerated?
A. Proper storage of drugs is always on the label of a certified
pharmaceutical. Follow those guidelines which may, in fact, call
for refrigeration.
|
