If you're like millions of Canadians who've had a prescription filled this year, you've seen first hand just one of the many services your pharmacist provides. Your pharmacist can do much more for you than you've come to expect.

As the most accessible health care provider in the community, your pharmacist is often your first point of contact with the health care system and is an excellent source of information.

In addition to advice and information about the best way to take your medicine, your pharmacist can help you with a variety of other health concerns, including help with conditions such as diabetes, asthma, high blood pressure or high cholesterol. He or she can provide sound, up-to-date advice on staying well and preventing disease. Your pharmacist can also help with lifestyle changes...for example, how to quit smoking.

Pharmacists work in many settings: in the community pharmacy, in hospitals, nursing homes, at the outpatient clinic or even online.

The Canadian Pharmacists Association reminds you that whenever you have questions about your medication or need help with your health care, talk to your pharmacist.

Talk to your pharmacist
...about taking your medications properly

The benefits of working with your pharmacist are far-reaching.

An increasing number of Canadians are taking medication to control one or more chronic conditions, such as diabetes, heart disease or asthma. Taking your medications properly allows these conditions to be managed, helping you feel better and minimizing long-term complications. Your pharmacist can also help you avoid or solve side effects from your medications.

New and advanced medications are becoming available every day. More medications are becoming available over the counter without the need for a prescription. When it comes to taking medicine properly and safely, the right information is essential for your good health.

The Canadian Pharmacists Association reminds you to talk to your pharmacist.

Looking for valuable family health resources? Check out the Canadian Pharmacists Association web resources for consumers.  Just click here.

You can also visit our provincial organizations: 

Pharmacists Association of Alberta

Alberta College of Pharmacists

Google Search

Those who have been here before will notice we have added a Google Search Box.  You can use this search utility to find topics on our site, as well as our sister site, staffordpharmacy.ca (which is under construction).  

If what you are looking for is not on our site, the Google Search will also allow you to search the entire World Wide Web for answers to your questions.  

Just remember to click on the radio button that represents the search you want to run.  You can specify this website, our sister site or the world wide web.  

Enjoy the search routine.

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Internet Pharmacies

Many of our U.S. neighbours to the south, have become aware of the growing presence of Canadian Internet Pharmacies on the Web.   These are pharmacies that have been set up expressly for the purposes of selling prescription medications to U.S. citizens.  What with our drug pricing controls and lower dollar ($1Cdn = $1.50US), people in the U.S. are discovering that purchasing their maintenance medications is a real bargain.  And in fact it is.  

You will be led to believe that the medications being provided to you are inferior in some way or that quality controls are less than in the U.S.  None of this is true.  These are some of the exact same brands as are available in pharmacies across the United States.   The Canadian equivalent to the FDA, the Health Protection Board, is just as particular about standards, quality and safe medication as is the FDA.  

That being said, you need to choose your Internet Pharmacist just as carefully as you do your Pharmacist in the bricks and mortar pharmacy.  Price may attract you to the business, but it is the professional services that will keep you safe from "drug misadventures".  
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