 | Kent Richardson graduated from the University of Kansas School of Pharmacy in 1972. Kent has owned and operated Richardson's Pharmacy, a retail independent pharmacy, and Richardson's Medical, a Durable Medical Equipment and Oxygen company in Wichita, KS since 1973. He also owns Custom Rx, Inc., a compounding only pharmacy in Wichita, KS. Since 1988, Kent has served on the Board of Directors of PACE Alliance, the largest retail pharmacy-buying group in the United States, and is currently Vice Chairman of that organization. He has also served as President and Chairman of the American College of Apothecaries, an international professional association of pharmacists, and has served on their Board of Directors for 14 years. Kent holds memberships in the National Community Pharmacists Association, American Pharmaceutical Association and the Kansas Pharmacy Association and has served and is still serving on various committees for these organizations. His employment history includes serving as Marketing Director for a regional Prescription Benefit Management Company (PBM) for twelve years. For the last seven years he has been instrumental in the development of Right Choice Pharmacy, a totally unique concept in the cost-effective provision of maintenance prescriptions via community pharmacies. You can reach Kent Richardson at Richardson's Custom Rx Pharmacy (316) 721-2626 located at 3510 N. Ridge Rd. in Wichita, or visit their website at www.customrx.net |
Pharmaceuticals
2004-10-01 15:07:00
How would you handle this?
: I recently had a pharmacist suggest an alternative to a prescription written by my doctor. Although I appreciated that they were looking out for me, is it any of their business to question a doctor's decision?
ANSWER: From the way your question is written, I can tell that you do not have a personal relationship with a pharmacist. While it is extremely important to have a personal relationship with your doctor, it is also very important to have a personal relationship with your pharmacist for many reasons, some of which are listed below. In order for your pharmacist to do his or her job, you should get all of your prescriptions filled at the same pharmacy. Whenever you pick up a prescription at your community pharmacy, the information is entered into a computer database, which immediately checks the new prescription against your current medications and alerts pharmacists about possible interactions between drugs. You should also tell your pharmacist of any disease states that you might have such as diabetes, high blood pressure, asthma, etc. so that he or she can also check for drug/disease state contraindications.You may go to more than one physician and your cardiologist may not know what your family physician has prescribed and vice versa. Your pharmacist then becomes the only professional who can make sure that prescriptions from two different doctors do not interact in a negative way.If you have insurance that covers your prescriptions, your pharmacist is able to suggest alternative medications that may result in a lower co-payment. Your physician is usually unaware of the many requirements and restrictions that insurance companies place on your prescription drug benefit. Your pharmacist, on the other hand, is in direct contact with your insurance company via the pharmacy computer system and can determine what drugs are covered and what your co-payment will be. Keep in mind that whenever a pharmacist suggests a change to a prescription written by your doctor, the pharmacist will first discuss the suggested change with you and then will contact your doctor's office to make sure that the change is all right with your doctor as well. Pharmacists will never change a prescription without contacting and getting permission from the prescribing physician first.If you do not feel that it is possible to develop a personal relationship with a pharmacist at your current pharmacy because the pharmacists are too busy or just don't seem to want to take the time, you should look for a pharmacy where you will be given the opportunity to talk to a pharmacist directly in a private setting. Finally, never hesitate to ask questions of your physician or pharmacists. After all, it is your health and wellbeing at risk.
