For example, an asthmatic has to use an inhaler and use oral medication in a very precise way. Demand and the workload for pharmacists is pulling them out from the shadows. The number of prescriptions have increased by more than 50 percent since 1992, according to the Indiana State Medical Association. The average person in a nursing home takes 12 different chemical entities daily. Pharmacists update their record keeping, and even interview patients, to make sure they are aware of each patient's different medications.
Pharmacists advise patients, ensure compliance and use caution to make sure no mistakes are made.
When Cindy Clark picks up her prescription every month, Knoy pops the top off the bottle so Clark can peer at her medicine. After eyeing the pills, Clark nods and proceeds to pay. Since the mid-1990s, Meijer pharmacists have shown patients their medication to familiarize patients with their medication and to see if there are any changes in the prescription. If the pills are generics, they may have a different appearance from the brand name medication. It's just our final check of everything.