You are at your doctor’s office and they have given you a pharmacy.us/-BLOG-ENTRY-SUBJECT–srk_BLOG_ENTRY_PREMIER/Interesting-Facts-about-Compounding-bek/” Title=”Outer banks pharmacies”>prescription. The number of options you have for where you can fill that will vary depending on the area in which you live but you will have to make one decision; should you go to a local, independent pharmacy or one of the national, chain pharmacies that are all over the nation.
- There are definite benefits and drawbacks to each. If you know you are going to be traveling, going to a national chain may mean you can get your refills wherever you are. That can be a very good thing for many people whose jobs keep them on the road for lengthy periods of time. There are also some compelling reasons to go to pharmacies that are based in your community.
- You are supporting your local economy. Yes, the people who work at the local branch of the chain pharmacies may live in your area but you do more to promote local businesses when you buy from an independent pharmacy. Local, independent pharmacies employ locals for all of their positions and the owners live in the community. Money spent has a much better chance of helping people who are your neighbors. None of it goes to a corporation that is located far away.
- There is often a shorter wait time. Large, national pharmacies that are chains have many more customers who need their prescriptions filled. If you drop it off, they may not be able to get to it right away and the result is that you have to wait a long time for your medication to be ready for you to take home. By contracts, smaller independent pharmacies often do not have as many people ahead of you so they can take care of your needs right away.
- You can get the specialty over the counter products you need. Many independent pharmacies carry more specialized products than are carried by the chain pharmacies. The chains often have limitations on what kinds of products they are allowed to carry and this is determined, not by the needs of the local customers who use their stores but often by their main corporate office. If you use something that you cannot find at the area chain pharmacies, talk to the pharmacist at the local independent pharmacy and they may be able to get it for you. This is a level if service that you do not often find in bigger, national chains.
- Speaking of customer service, it is often better at local pharmacies. Some branches of national pharmacies do provide excellent customer service but it is not the norm the way it is at local, independent pharmacies. Some even offer home delivery if you are too sick to go to the pharmacy on your own. Other local pharmacies will provide other services such as prescription compounding. It has been estimated that almost 76% of independent pharmacies can offer compounding services, something that the chains do not offer. If you need special medical devices, they may be able to order them for you. It is not as likely that chain pharmacies will do that for you.
- You can get to know the owner. This is another way local, independent pharmacies can provide better customer service. If the owner is the pharmacist, this is even better. You can get to know everyone who works at your neighborhood pharmacy. That can help you get better medical care. These people will get to know you, the medicines you are taking and what conditions you suffer from. They can check to make sure none of your medications will have a bad interaction with the rest. They can also be a great resource for health advice. If you start taking a new drug and have a reaction that you do not expect, you can talk to the pharmacist at the local, independent pharmacy.
There are some good and bad things about going to both national chain pharmacies and independent establishments but if personalized customer service is important, your local shop might be the best place for you to go.