Pharmacy Advocates Blog
Do you have a quick question about one of your medicines?
We are looking for questions to answer in our Blog!
Please send us questions at information@pharmacyadvocates.com and we may choose your question to respond to!
Like most of us, you probably go to your primary care physician at least once a year for a check-up. Likely you also visit a dentist at least a couple times a year to check on your teeth. Once you hit 50, you probably went in for a colonoscopy to examine your large intestine. Women go in regularly for mammograms to check for any signs of breast cancer. Depending on what else you have going on in your body, you may also see an endocrinologist, rheumatologist, cardiologist, neurologist, dermatologist, nephrologist, and many more “-ists” out there! Each of these specialists is providing a check-up for the area of the body they know best, which is reassuring.
But wait—what often happens after you visit with each of these specialists? Oftentimes you are given a prescription for a new medication or told to try over-the-counter remedy X, Y, or Z. Add the new pills to the ones you were already taking, plus that supplement that your neighbor raved about, and pretty soon you might find yourself swallowing what seems to be a growing handful of pills every morning (and/or afternoon, evening, and night for that matter)! And while these providers are certainly looking out for your best interest, we have found that Specialist A often doesn’t talk to Specialist B, C, or D, and vice versa.
That’s where we come in! We are specialists in medicine. Our job is to give your medicines a check-up. That’s right—we’re not going to poke or prod you, just your pill boxes! We evaluate “the big picture” of your medicines and make sure they are all working in harmony and that you’re not a victim of drug interactions, opposing medications, drug/medical condition interactions, intolerable side effects, or over-/undermedication. Our job is not to criticize or step on your physician’s toes. Rather, we are here to serve as the common thread between all your providers, ensuring that one provider’s recommendations will not adversely affect any of your other medications or medical conditions.
At Pharmacy Advocates, LLC, we do just that: advocate for the proper and safe use of medicines. Our Mission is to promote the safe and proper use of medications in older adults through diligent pharmacy review and education of clients, caregivers, and healthcare providers. We specialize in medication use in older adults and understand the unique considerations that must be in place when treating this population. If you’re concerned about your or a loved one’s medications or think you could benefit from a medication check-up, click the “Our Services” tab for more information about our services.
