Announcing  New Feature Page "The Prescription Pad"

Those who follow our blog or Subscribe to our Newsletter know that in the past two years we have covered a wide range of topics.  Everything from why your prescription has refills to Lyme Disease.    We've given you tips about how to prevent colds and flu;  explained the parts of your prescription - a legal document as well as a communication from your physician or dentist to the pharmacist;  you've been given the insight into the use and benefits of many nutrients  such as Calcium, Vitamin K1, Co-enzyme Q10, and Vitamin B12 to name a few.   All of these topics are current; of interest to a wide audience and and as usual written with attention to accuracy of information, so you know you can trust the source of information.

Content Added

It's important to note that many of the topics will be posted un-edited from the original article.   However, we will be updating the content of as many articles as possible to deliver more details, to expand on the original article as well as to make sure the information is still accurate and reflecting current thinking on the subject.    We are working to make this YOUR reference site for practical, reference quality health related information.   The addition of these pages, will bring a large amount of content that we know will be of interest to readers.

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It is recommended that all Albertans aged 6 months and older be vaccinated against the flu (influenza) annually. The flu viruses change from year to year, therefore our vaccines have to change with them. This year’s flu vaccine contains the H1N1 virus along with two new strains.

Immunization is one of the best ways to prevent the flu. While most people who become sick with the flu have mild illness lasting for 5-10 days, the flu causes 20,000 hospitalizations and 4,000 deaths in Canada each year. By protecting yourself against the flu, you are also protecting those around you who are at higher risk of developing complications.

The vaccine is especially important for people who are at higher risk of developing complications from the flu, including:

People who are age 65 or older.
Adults and children who have long-term health problems or an impaired immune system.
People who live in nursing homes or long term care centers.
Women who will be pregnant during the flu season.
Children 6 to 23 months of age.
Children who are 24 months to 18 years old who use long-term ASA treatment.
People who are obese with a body mass index (BMI) of 40 or more.
First Nations peoples.
Health care workers and anyone who lives or works with a person who is at higher risk of problems from the flu.

Your pharmacist can help you decide if the flu vaccine is a good choice for you. If you have questions about the flu or flu vaccine, speak with one of our pharmacy team members...

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Hypertension is by far the largest risk factor for heart disease, stroke and kidney diseases. Over 1.5 billion people suffer from hypertension worldwide and the WHO has identified hypertension as the top cause of CVD related deaths. Yet awareness about hypertension is very poor among the public. Nearly 50% of Canadians who are hypertensive are not aware of their condition.   To help raise awareness and to assist patients who are monitoring their high blood pressure we have upgraded our in-pharmacy blood pressure monitor to the PharmaSmart PS-2000 with Smart Card technology.

How does the Smart Card work?

The PharmaSmart blood pressure Smart Card includes a memory chip, which means it "remembers" your previous blood pressure readings. This allows you to track your blood pressure readings over time. The information on your smart card is private and confidential.  Ask your pharmacist about obtaining your personal blood pressure Smart Card.

What do I need to know about the Blood Pressure Kiosk?

The PharmaSmart PS-2000 kiosk allows you to reliably track your blood pressure over time. If you use a personal Smart Card, the Kiosk will print out the average of your last 10 blood pressure and pulse readings, along with the date of each reading. It will also provide an average of your most recent 10 readings. This printed report can be shared with loved ones or your health care providers to help better manage your health.

What is the on-line...

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You will be seeing a new topic posted on our site, which we have entitled "Trends - Products to Watch", which will be focused on new and promising products that we have discovered.   Before we bring attention to any of these products we will endeavor to do our research, to verify any therapeutic claims or confirm any suggested benefits.  As part of this review we will also determine whether or not the product is safe to use and to advise of any precautions with respect to potential interactions with prescribed medications.    We remind you however,  that no matter how promising a particular product might sound,  even if we determine that some or all of the benefits are reasonable, each person should apply their own measure of skepticism as well as consider their personal health status,  including medications you may be taking for long term disease management, as well as the short term treatment of disease.    Many of the products that are found to show promise  will be offered here at our pharmacy.   That means you will always have the benefit of being able to ask the pharmacist any questions that might be appropriate about a new product and how it might impact your drug regimen BEFORE you take any off the shelf products.

Never assume that any product is 100% safe, even if it contains ingredients that someone claims are "natural",  or that are "herbal".   If any ingredient whether it be from plant, animal, or mineral has a measurable therapeutic effect th...

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Are you looking for reliable information about your health, disease management, drug information, complementary and alternative medicine? Look no further! Take a look at the monthly Newsletter that is available in-store, via your e-mail and each month the previous month is archived online which you can access via the drop down menu just under the Patient Resources heading on the main page. If you would like the ultimate in convenience, subscribe to have our Newsletter and other important information sent directly to your e-mail. This is information you can trust because it has been researched, reviewed and written by staff Pharmacists. Don't take a chance that the information you have stumbled on via the World Wide Web is dependable. Get the information from the healthcare professionals that you trust every day. SUBSCRIBE TODAY.

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We've just finished adding a new page to our website and personally am very excited by the addition.   We have taken our current offering of television commercial spots and displayed them on our website under the heading of "About" .     So, if you nagivate to:  http://www.staffordpharmacy.com/about-stafford-pharmacy/our-tv-ads/  you will find several video selections that include a 30 second introduction to "Compounding", another that for many people is their first introduction to "Customized Dosage Forms for Veterinary Medicine".   In that particular video clip, you will meet "Nova" our seven year old, pure bred, German Shepherd female who is being treated with some of our "doggie" flavoured treats, one of several unique dosage forms that we prepare for companion animals.   

Other dosing options may simply be a beef flavoured suspension for a medication that otherwise is not available or just not very palatable for your furry member of the family.    So for your dog we might flavour with beef or liver or chicken; and for your cat it might be fish flavour such as Tuna, Salmon or a combination.   We even have a "ham" flavour for the discriminating canine or feline.   You can start to appreciate the options available.   In fact, we now have flavoured oral capsules that will be used to incorporate an animal's medication, as we find that the taste of a medication actually begins with the "smell" of that oral dosage form.

The selection of video cl...

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Your Pharmacist.  Your Partner in Health.

Your Health, Your Pharmacist.

We all want to be as healthy as we can be so we can enjoy full, happy lives with our families and loved ones.  Remember that your pharmacist is a highly trained and accessible health professional who can help you take charge of your health.

Make sure your medicines work for you.

Be sure to shop at one pharmacy so the pharmacy team can keep track of all your medications.  This will help your pharmacist to identify any potential drug interactions with prescription medications as well as over-the-counter drugs, vitamins and herbal remedies.  Your pharmacist is always available to talk to you about your medications and the conditions they treat.

Your picture of health, living with a chronic condition.

If you have a chronic disease, such as diabetes or high blood pressure, your pharmacist can help.  Your pharmacist will help you understand your condition and how to treat it.  They’ll also know if you need to go back to your doctor for a change in you medication or for further follow-up.

Talk to your pharmacist!!

Ask for a few minutes of their time when you get your prescription renewed.  Need more than a few minutes?  Set up an appointment with your pharmacist today...

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Welcome to the new look, just in time to say we've succesfully finished our twenty fifth year of business.  We formally opened our doors the morning of July 15, 1985 as a 970 sq ft community pharmacy.   Since then we have increased our physical presence to now include just under 4000 sq ft with our home healthcare department becoming a major focus as well the preparation of customized dosage forms, complementary medicines and a philosophy that is best described as a concern for achieving positive health outcomes.    And this is because we are serious about your health and feel that we can have a substantial impact on the improvement of your health outcomes. 

What does that mean?  Well, it means we bring to bear all that we have available to us here in the community to help our patients, in the comfort of their own home.    After all,  hospitals are a great place for us to effectively diagnose and treat all manner of acute illness.   It's where we can focus all the specialized knowledge, the skill sets, the technologies and within the confines of this healthcare complex.   But if you're a human, and if your reading this I know you are, you will heal a lot better at home.   Where you have the comforts of your own bed, your own big comfy chair and your family and friends for support.

What you will also need along with a good support system, are the products and services that will allow you to stay at home.   That may mean drug therapy, that may mean s...

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Our Pharmacists have been working to give you, the consumer, some home grown information on every health related topic including some specific to the season.   The topics come from our every day experiences as well as those topics that show up in the news.  They are all well researched and of course, practical as well as topical. Take a look at what we have published to date.  If you missed the print versions in-store, you can now get access after the publication date.   Print them off for your own reference, share them with family and friends.  Get on our e-mail list for future newsletters by sending Jaclyn your information, or just drop by.

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