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Pharmacists do so much more than dispense medicine. They have a wealth of knowledge to assist patients with safe medication use, potential drug interactions, preventative services and over-the-counter medications. Today is National Pharmacist Day, a day to recognize the importance of pharmacists and how they impact our health.
Why National Pharmacist Day is Important
This day honors more than 300,000 pharmacists for the significant role they play in effective medication management, patient education and overall medication safety.
A pharmacist can look at all your prescription medications as a whole to determine if your medications are safe, appropriate and effective to manage your health condition(s). They may also be able to assess if you are taking medications you no longer need, if you have therapy duplication, if you are missing a certain medication that is proven to help your specific condition(s), or if you are taking something that could potentially be harmful to your health. Pharmacists may also be able to suggest alternative drug options to lessen side effects or reduce your drug costs.
Pharmacists play a major role in monitoring or managing multiple chronic conditions, such as asthma, diabetes, high cholesterol, high blood pressure, weight loss, and tobacco use.
How Pharmacists Can Help You
Providing guidance on preventative services:Â More than 300,000 immunization-trained pharmacists administer vaccines, and nearly one in four adults receive their influenza vaccinations at their community pharmacy?1Â Pharmacists can provide guidance on all vaccine-preventable diseases and which immunizations are best for you.
Talking with you about your medicine. They help minimize side effects and safeguard against any possible interactions with other medications that lead to more expensive health care costs such as emergency room visits, hospitalization, etc.
Increasing medication adherence. When you are medication adherent and compliant, you save money, healthcare resources, and have better health outcomes. Pharmacists can help you maintain medication adherence by regularly checking in on you to see how you are doing. It is difficult to manage multiple medications, so it is great to have pharmacists there to help. To learn more about the importance of medication adherence check out: https://triahealthblog.com/2020/10/05/the-benefits-of-medication-reminders-for-non-adherent-and-non-compliant-patients/
Coordinating care with your physician. Pharmacists are the best resource to optimize medication use and provide care coordination with physicians. For patients with chronic conditions, care coordination is especially helpful for adjusting prescriptions and medication management accordingly.
How Tria Health Pharmacists Can Help
Tria Health was founded on the belief that pharmacists play a vital role in the management of high-risk patients that drive most of the health care spend. If you have one or more chronic conditions and take multiple medications, Tria Health has a Pharmacy Advocate Program available for you. The PA program offers one-on-one confidential counseling with a Tria Pharmacist to discuss how effective your medications are in treating your conditions. Your Tria Pharmacist will work with you and your physicians to reduce the risk of medication-related problems.
Want to learn more about Tria Health Pharmacists?
Call us toll-free at 1.888.799.8742 or visit our website at www.triahealth.com.
Tria Help Desk: 1.888.799.8742
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