Alright .....maybe not an affair but definitely have a relationship with him/her. I know that a lot of people feel it's important to have a good relationship with their doctor but what about your pharmacist?
Do you always go to the same pharmacy? Do you think your pharmacist knows who you are? Why should you have a relationship with that pharmacist?
Years ago I dated a pharmacist, he was a brilliant guy but not much on relationships... I sure hope that he was better with his patients than he was with relating to me.
I am naturally the kind of person that desires to have a relationship with whoever I do business with; my bankers, my hairdresser, my dentist. I like to be a "Norm" (remember the guy from Cheers) where ever I am. It only recently occurred to me that not everyone sees the value in forming a relationship with their pharmacist. Let me tell you why I think you should and why my own pharmacist thinks you should.
Better service and better health: I have always received recommendations from my pharmacist for OTC and prescription drugs. Your doctor knows about symptoms and ailments but it's the pharmacist who knows about the drugs. Think about it, why would you ask the doctor a lot of questions about a drug when it's the pharmacist who specializes in it? Many times when I have suspected that I had a symptom , I would go ask my pharmacist about it and ask what they recommended, that way, I could take control over what sort of drug I might need.
I asked my pharmacist, Dr. Troy Albright, what sort of relationship he thinks patients should have with their pharmacist and he believes it's important to have a triad relationship. The patient at the top of the triangle and then the bottom points are the pharmacist and the doctor. All 3 should be working together to create a plan for health for the patient. He also feels that if your pharmacist or doctor are not available for a relationship that perhaps there is someone who could better serve you. That thought reminded me of a time about 15 years ago when I was doctor shopping. I got a recommendation from my OB/GYN for an internal doc. I called the office and asked if I could speak to the doctor directly. He wasn't available at that moment but he called me back within the hour. That was the sort of doctor I wanted to have a relationship with.
Another reason that Dr. Albright believes that we should have a relationship with our pharmacist (and I agree) is that all prescribed drugs have different side affects and each person will react differently with them. If you have a relationship with your pharmacist, they might be able to predict a little about how you will react and could possibly steer you in the right direction along with your doctor.
I have been in a relationship with Dr. Albright for a while now and I feel I can talk about anything with him. I feel comfortable with any subject. I get more of his time than I do my doctor sometimes. I feel that he is always looking for ways to improve his methods, the quality of his product and has a passion for peoples health. I am confident that he compounds quality products for each of his patients.
For those of you who are not familiar with a compounding pharmacy, which is where I go, he said that a traditional pharmacy dispenses drugs that are made elsewhere and are shipped to the pharmacy, a compounding pharmacy compounds the drugs on site and can formulate them for each individual. Some compounds are regularly dispensed prescriptions and can be pre-made on site and are ready on demand.
Which ever pharmacy you go to, be sure to form a relationship with that pharmacist so you can have that one extra person watching out for your health. If you have to go to one that is a little more expensive then go there. When you think about it what is your health worth? I go outside my insurance coverage to get bioidentical hormones because I know that Dr. Albright carefully compounds exactly what I need.
The next time you need a prescription filled or something specifically formulated, think about the relationship you have and how much or little your pharmacist is interested in you.
Dr. Troy Albright is the owner of RX Formulations in Mesa Arizona. http://www.rxformulations.com/