12 Tips For A Better Pharmacy Experience
By following these tips, both you and the pharmacy staff members will have a more pleasant time together.
1) Give the pharmacy a call earlier in the day to see when they close and arrive at least 45 minutes to 1 hour before the closing time. Avoid bringing in your prescription 5 minutes before the pharmacy closes. When the pharmacy rushes a prescription, there is a higher risk of medication error.
2) If you get a pharmacy phone call from an automatic machine, call the pharmacy to talk to a live person and see what is going on. The message you get from the machine is not always right, but you can be reassured by talking to the people working at your pharmacy.
3) If the people at your pharmacy go out of their way to take care of you and your health needs, let them know that you personally appreciate their service every so often. It will make them feel valued for the work they have done for you and promotes that type of positive behavior to help you again in the future.
4) If the pharmacy staff says the prescription will take 30 minutes, enjoy your waiting time by shopping around the pharmacy or sitting down comfortably. Avoid checking after only 5 or 10 minutes have passed since this will often only delay the filling process.
5) If your doctor has sent your prescription to the pharmacy electronically, you should call the pharmacy to find out if they have received it, what your co-pay is, and when it will be ready for you to pick up before heading to the pharmacy.
6) Whether you plan on picking up a controlled substance or buying medications behind the pharmacy counter, remember to bring a non-expired state-issued form of identification in case the pharmacy asks for it.
7) If you would like to know the availability of a shopping item, call the store manager or employees that stock the shelves, instead of the Pharmacy Department. You should call the Pharmacy mostly for prescription and other health questions.
8) Ask politely as to why your prescription isn't ready yet if your medication is not ready after the time that the pharmacy staff told you it would be ready. They are doing their best to meet everyone's needs and sometimes it can be hard for them to stay on top of everything.
9) When the pharmacy staff are counting your prescriptions, avoid looking over the top of the pharmacy counter and staring at them while they work as it can make them feel very uncomfortable. These pharmacy counters were designed to be made lower for you to have less of a barrier to talk to your pharmacist.
10) If you have lice and/or your child has lice, it is best to stay home and get someone else to go to the pharmacy for you and ask the pharmacist on your behalf for the best lice treatment. You can also call the pharmacy to ask what lice treatment products to buy and have someone pick it up for you.
11) If you receive a new health insurance card in the mail, you should bring the new card the next time you are at the pharmacy and doctor's office to update your insurance information. Most insurance cards for drug coverage will have a BIN, RXGRP, and PCN number listed on the card. Also it is best to stay on top of any changes that come with your insurance as it will save you a lot of time and hassle at the pharmacy. Some changes include higher deductibles, co-pays, or not covering certain prescriptions that you used to get.
12) If your insurance coverage has recently changed and you have not received your insurance card yet, you can call your insurance provider to request your card's ID number, BIN number, RX Group Number, and PCN number to use at your pharmacy or doctor's office. This will help save you time and hassle when you visit the pharmacy with a new prescription.
2) If you get a pharmacy phone call from an automatic machine, call the pharmacy to talk to a live person and see what is going on. The message you get from the machine is not always right, but you can be reassured by talking to the people working at your pharmacy.
3) If the people at your pharmacy go out of their way to take care of you and your health needs, let them know that you personally appreciate their service every so often. It will make them feel valued for the work they have done for you and promotes that type of positive behavior to help you again in the future.
4) If the pharmacy staff says the prescription will take 30 minutes, enjoy your waiting time by shopping around the pharmacy or sitting down comfortably. Avoid checking after only 5 or 10 minutes have passed since this will often only delay the filling process.
5) If your doctor has sent your prescription to the pharmacy electronically, you should call the pharmacy to find out if they have received it, what your co-pay is, and when it will be ready for you to pick up before heading to the pharmacy.
6) Whether you plan on picking up a controlled substance or buying medications behind the pharmacy counter, remember to bring a non-expired state-issued form of identification in case the pharmacy asks for it.
7) If you would like to know the availability of a shopping item, call the store manager or employees that stock the shelves, instead of the Pharmacy Department. You should call the Pharmacy mostly for prescription and other health questions.
8) Ask politely as to why your prescription isn't ready yet if your medication is not ready after the time that the pharmacy staff told you it would be ready. They are doing their best to meet everyone's needs and sometimes it can be hard for them to stay on top of everything.
9) When the pharmacy staff are counting your prescriptions, avoid looking over the top of the pharmacy counter and staring at them while they work as it can make them feel very uncomfortable. These pharmacy counters were designed to be made lower for you to have less of a barrier to talk to your pharmacist.
10) If you have lice and/or your child has lice, it is best to stay home and get someone else to go to the pharmacy for you and ask the pharmacist on your behalf for the best lice treatment. You can also call the pharmacy to ask what lice treatment products to buy and have someone pick it up for you.
11) If you receive a new health insurance card in the mail, you should bring the new card the next time you are at the pharmacy and doctor's office to update your insurance information. Most insurance cards for drug coverage will have a BIN, RXGRP, and PCN number listed on the card. Also it is best to stay on top of any changes that come with your insurance as it will save you a lot of time and hassle at the pharmacy. Some changes include higher deductibles, co-pays, or not covering certain prescriptions that you used to get.
12) If your insurance coverage has recently changed and you have not received your insurance card yet, you can call your insurance provider to request your card's ID number, BIN number, RX Group Number, and PCN number to use at your pharmacy or doctor's office. This will help save you time and hassle when you visit the pharmacy with a new prescription.
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