6 Ways Your Pharmacist Helps With Over-The-Counter Medications

There is an untapped resource in the health profession - pharmacists! I am not sure if it’s common knowledge that pharmacists go to school for 8+ years to become a licensed pharmacist. After undergrad and prerequisites, we sit for an entrance exam, apply for pharmacy school and then do four additional years to obtain a doctorate degree. As of the year 2000, every pharmacist that graduates has to have the doctorate aka PharmD. 

A big, big part of the pharmacy curriculum is medicinal chemistry, pharmacokinetics (how drugs absorb and metabolize in our bodies), pharmacology along with experiential rotations where we learn on the job (similar to what med students do in their third and fourth years).

So, when a patient comes into the pharmacy asking what medicine to take for their cold symptoms, we know what questions to ask and what to recommend (those racks of medications can be overwhelming!).. 

I will preface all of this with pharmacists cannot diagnose a condition and we cannot prescribe medications. It is not within our scope of practice. What we can do is recommend based on your questions, help and counsel you on how to take medicine and educate on what side effects to look for. 

Lice, constipation, scars, poison ivy, cramps, backaches, supplements, children’s medication, migraines, at home covid tests, eye drops - pharmacists make recommendations around all these products and more.

What you are looking for may not be what you really need:

You may come in looking for one type of decongestant when you really need another, or even an allergy medicine instead!

You may need more medical help:

If we take your blood pressure or your blood sugar and the numbers are repeatedly high, or if we see a skin infection that looks like cellulitis, we usually will point you in the direction of the nearest ED. 

Pharmacists know A LOT about supplements

The good, the bad and the ugly - all of it!

Pharmacists know A LOT about sunscreen 

Chemical vs mineral, SPF, certain ingredients you should watch out for like oxybenzone, how often to apply

Pharmacists know how much you should take of a medicine and we know when to point you in the direction of poison control (800-222-1222). 

In certain instances pharmacists can dispense

The morning after pill, birth control pills, naloxone (the overdose reversal drug) - these are all ways we contribute back to the community. Most of these require you going up to the pharmacy counter and getting specific counseling.

Pharmacists are consistently rated as one of the top five trusted professions in annual Gallup polls. As the token pharmacist in my family and circle of friends, I get a lot of questions about dosing, what to take for certain ailments, and when they need to go to a doctor.  We are always 

This year has been hard on pharmacists as front-line workers. They are busy, short-staffed and also administering vaccines! Be patient, but don’t be afraid to ask for help!