From Pet Meds to Sports Meds — Pharmacies are Guardians of Community Wellness

Sometimes the best medicine doesn’t come from a pill bottle or a vial, but from a brisk walk around the block, or a leafy green vegetable. And sometimes, it falls to your local pharmacist to deliver that advice. Such is the sentiment expressed by retired pharmacist Dennis Miller who, upon retiring from his chosen profession, wrote a book in which he shared his thoughts about current pharmacy practices.

“One of the most frequent questions that pharmacy customers ask pharmacists is, ‘I just don’t have any energy. Can you recommend something?’ Miller wrote. “How would customers react,” he continued, “if the pharmacist directed them to the fresh fruits and vegetables section in the drug store rather than to the vitamin section?” He went on to pose a few questions:

• What if customers who asked for a recommendation for constipation were directed to high fiber fruits and vegetables rather than to laxative pills and powders?

• What if a customer mentioned a desire to increase his/her consumption of vitamin C and the pharmacist recommended fresh oranges rather than vitamin C pills?

• What if a customer asked a pharmacist about potassium supplements and the pharmacist recommended fresh bananas rather than OTC potassium tablets?

This approach would seem to have broad support among the pharmacist community, with 95% of pharmacists rating “counselling patients on their medications/conditions” as either “very fulfilling” or “somewhat fulfilling,” in the 2022 CoverMyMeds Medication Access Report. Read more >