The pharmacist can help

If your doctor decides to prescribe medication for your condition, you may find that the healthcare professional you have the most contact with is your local pharmacist.

It's good to remember that your pharmacist is more than just someone who sells you your medication. Like your doctor, he or she is a trained expert who can give you really useful information and advice about managing your health.

For example, a pharmacist knows a great deal about how medicines interact and should be able to advise you about any safety concerns to consider when taking a number of different medicines at the same time.

In some cases, certain medicines may reduce the effectiveness of others, or the combination of medicines you have been prescribed may have unwanted potential side-effects. Although your pharmacist may not have the option to prescribe something else, he or she should be able to find a solution that suits you or direct you to the right specialist advice.

Taking your medicine
If you are taking a medicine for the first time, you should make sure you understand exactly how and when you should be taking it. Your pharmacist should be able to tell you whether you should be taking your medicines with or without food and suggest appropriate times of the day. If you have any other questions, don't be embarrassed to ask. Also make sure you can read the label on the bottle or packet.

To help you take your medicine or medicines as prescribed, your pharmacist may be able to sell you a special dispenser with compartments for different days of the week and times of the day.

If you have difficulty using your hands – if you have arthritis, for example – your pharmacist should also be able to provide easy-to-open containers for your medicines.

Find out more about managing your medicines.

Remember to mention...
It's always a good idea to let your pharmacist know if you are pregnant or breastfeeding, already taking prescribed or over-the-counter medicines (even vitamins, supplements or any other alternative treatments) or if you are allergic to anything.