Brand name medicines appear in green; generic medicines appear in red.

Know your pharmacist... Know your medicine

If you are like most Americans, you are on a first name basis with your hairdresser, barber, maybe even your car mechanic or your dry cleaner. But do you know the first name of your pharmacist?

A study done by the American Pharmacists Association (APhA) found that only 35% of consumers know their pharmacist’s name. 1 This is surprising since your pharmacist is one of the easiest members of your healthcare team to reach.

The study found that people who know their pharmacist’s name may be safer with their medicines. These people are more likely to:

• Tell their pharmacist the names of other medicines they take
• Read product labels all the time
• Know the main ingredients of the prescription medicines they are taking
• Use their pharmacist as a source of information on both prescription and over-the-counter medicines.

So take a simple step towards safer use of your medicines: Introduce yourself to your pharmacist and learn his or her first name; no appointment or co-pay needed.

Reference: 1. American Pharmacists Association. New National Consumer Survey Highlights Need for More Communication with Pharmacists [Press Release]. September 19, 2005. Washington, DC: APhA.