In general, your pharmacist can help you get more advice about the pills that you need or the diagnosis the doctor has made, and your conversation with them should be much broader, not just giving greetings, buying your medication and leaving. There are many things that you need to know, and your responsibility should increase when it comes to your health. 

Don’t be afraid to ask them important things about your problems, because they are specially trained to know the chemistry of different drugs and how they interact with your body or other meds. 

“I’m not just here to give you the medication. I’m here to answer questions if you’re having problems taking it,” says Jamal Downer, PharmD, a pharmacist, and manager at a Walgreens store in New York City. “Pharmacists are always there for you — free of charge.”

So next time when you want to go to the pharmacy, feel free to ask your pharmacist about your problems or how the pills react in your body because they can tell you the benefits, but also the side effects of your drugs.

Here are some things you may not know, but you definitely should about pharmacists! Read on for more info!

Tell your pharmacist if you are taking other meds

One of the most important things that you have to take into consideration when going to the pharmacy is to never forget to tell your pharmacist if you are taking any other pills because they need to know if some pills interfere with others and what side effects they may have if combined. 

For instance, there are some over-the-counter (OTC) drugs (meds that can be sold directly without a requirement for a prescription from a specialized doctor) that contain certain active ingredients that may interact with other pills you are prescribed and this could lead to different side effects that could adversely affect your health. So, you should always tell your pharmacist if you’re taking other meds. 

 “You may be taking an over-the-counter medication that is not in your profile,” said Kelly Moore, a hospital-based pharmacist in New York.

Check the active ingredients in your meds

As I said before, some over-the-counter drugs (but not only these kind of meds) contain certain active ingredients, such as aspirin, pseudoephedrine, or acetaminophen – commonly known as Tylenol, and too much Tylenol could lead to liver toxicity or other severe diseases. Moreover, some cold meds contain pseudoephedrine and this substance can increase heart rate and blood pressure, so you have to be very careful when you take them. 

“Herbal products and vitamins often interact with medications, too,” said Moore. For instance, ginseng, goldenseal, and St. John’s wort are potent herbs that could interact with other drugs, so this could lead to severe side effects. 

So, in this case, all you have to do is to tell your pharmacist if you are taking any other pills and they will know if you can still take other meds and if they interact. It is your responsibility to ask them about the possible side effects of your meds and they will give you all the information that you need. 

“But we can do a lot more. We are more of a resource and people should ask us questions and use our expertise,” said Moore.

Over-the-counter drugs could have side effects as well

Of course that if you can take over-the-counter drugs without a requirement for a prescription from a specialized doctor it does not mean that they are totally safe and beneficial for your body. First of all, you should be aware that we are all different and our body has different needs and reactions, so you have to be really careful when buying meds. 

Nevertheless, there are people who already suffer from various diseases, such as diabetes and hypertension, so taking certain meds (even those that are over-the-counter) can be really harmful to their health condition. There are certain ingredients that can cause severe side effects, and in some cases, people should avoid these substances. 

“Always ask your physician before taking any OTC drug if you have a serious condition or if you are already taking another OTC medication,” said Moore.

They can make your meds more affordable

Unfortunately, some meds are quite expensive and not everyone can afford to buy them so many of them skip their doses or cut their pills, but this is not a good idea, especially because your treatment will be ineffective and it will make your condition worse. But whether you are feeling symptoms or not, you shouldn’t reduce your doses or stop taking your meds. “The dose that your doctor prescribes is the dose that’s necessary,” Downer says.

But, thanks to pharmacists, you can buy your meds at a lower price, because they will try to find an affordable option that will replace the pills recommended by your doctor in a safe and effective way. Basically, they will give you the same pills, but differently named, and this is safe because these affordable pills have the same ingredients. “If you can’t afford a prescription, we’ll try to find a generic alternative,” says Downer.

Avoid overpaying by contacting your insurance provider

You can save a lot of money if you contact your insurance providers to ask them what kind of medications they are able to cover. “There may be 10 drugs in one class and it’s typical for the insurance to cover just one of them,” Moore explained. “If you know which one, and your doctor agrees you can take it, your copay may be significantly less.”

So, you should take this option into consideration next time when you want to go to the pharmacy and save some money. In fact, it is your right to enjoy these benefits, because that’s why you pay for insurance and it is very important to take advantage of every opportunity to make your life better and healthier.

Do not put pressure on your pharmacist

Another important thing that you have to keep in mind when you go to the pharmacy is not to put pressure on the pharmacist, because they are focused on completing their tasks and helping other patients as well. 

Hence, long lines at the pharmacy are normal and common, because pharmacists double check those pills to see if everything is okay with the expiration date or ingredients and probably talk with other patients about their symptoms and any other meds that they are probably taking. So, there are a lot of reasons why there may be long lines at the pharmacy, but you have to be gentle and sympathetic. 

“So if they tell you they’ll be there in a minute, respect that one minute and don’t rush them,” adds Moore.

Certain pills can’t be split 

You should talk to your pharmacist if you can’t take certain pills as they are too big to swallow and they will tell you if it is fine to do so or not because there are some meds that can’t be divided. 

Moreover, if you are trying to split your pills just because you want to save money you better ask your pharmacist about another safe and affordable alternative. If your doctor has recommended you a certain (daily) dose, you can’t reduce that dose or take half a pill one day and another half the next, because you may worsen your condition or it will have no effect. 

However, dividing your pills into two halves is not safe and effective, unless recommended by your pharmacist or doctor. 

“Some pills are manufactured in a way that if you split them you may be getting a high dose of the medication in one day and none on another day,” adds Moore. “Ideally, [your doctor and your pharmacist] will work together because the doctor knows more about your state, but the pharmacist knows more about the medication you’re prescribed.”

Ask your pharmacists about the disposal of unused medicines

Flushing old, expired and unused medicines on the toilet, drain, or trash doesn’t mean that you are disposing of them safely and correctly. Do not forget that your medicine is just for you and it might be harmful to someone else or other creatures. Why?

Well, pharmaceuticals contain certain substances that could affect the quality of water that is arriving into and it could hurt marine life or other people who drink that water (because these substances could end up in a source of drinking water as well). So, if you have a cabinet full of expired drugs or pills that you no longer use, then ask your pharmacists about medication disposal and they will tell you how to get rid of them safely. Drugs can be disposed of depending on the substances that they contain, so you have to ask your pharmacist how to do it properly. 

“At the very least you want to grind them in a coffee grinder to deactivate the narcotics,” said Moore. 

According to the FDA, “some pharmacies have mail-back programs and disposal kiosks for unused medicines.”

In fact, expired medications are no longer effective. “You may think, for example, that you’re taking Ibuprofen for your pain when in fact you’re taking nothing,” said Moore.

In some cases, you don’t even need meds

In some cases, people go to the pharmacy to treat certain symptoms, but they do not necessarily need medication or other treatments, and the pharmacist helps them in this sense. Moreover, if we take too many pills, then your liver could be adversely affected. So, that’s why they can tell you how severe your symptoms are and what you should do to recover. Sometimes you may just need exercise and a healthy diet to feel better again. 

“But every patient is different, Moore noted. “A patient can start taking a medication and as they improve their lifestyle their medication can be reduced.”