There are more than 23,000 community pharmacists — including 2,800+ Health Mart pharmacies — in the United States. These pharmacists are a valuable resource for providing personalized care focused on disease prevention and wellness. They serve as trusted healthcare professionals and partner with their patients to provide personalized care.

Pharmacists are specially trained to help people manage side effects and take multiple medicines effectively and safely. Community pharmacists:

• Perform the critical service of personally and confidentially counseling Americans on how to use medicines safely and effectively and how to reduce people’s spending on the medicines they need
  
• Offer health screenings in their communities for conditions such as high cholesterol, diabetes and high blood pressure to help detect, prevent and better treat these and other serious conditions
• Offer vaccinations to families in their communities to prevent the flu and other illnesses
  
• Offer 24-hour access to medications in urgent situations

Do your part to show your support for community pharmacists and help preserve every American’s access to the personalized care of a community pharmacist.

Consumers/Patients

• Fill your prescriptions at your local pharmacy, where you can get personalized care on side effects and disease management
  
• Talk to your pharmacist and ask questions about your prescriptions and over-the-counter healthcare needs.
  
• Write to your local politicians and public policy makers to let them know that you support your community pharmacist — and that you want them to fight for legislation that does not interfere with their ability to serve your healthcare needs.

Pharmacists/Pharmacy Owners

• Continue to provide the highest quality care to the patients in your community — offer additional services such as health screenings, meter exchange days, and healthcare education.
  
• Ask your local public policy officials to visit your pharmacy
  
  • Give them a tour of your pharmacy
  • Show them how you help the members of their community — their constituents — manage their healthcare
  • Discuss legislation that affects your ability to provide care to your community — educate them on the outcomes of their decisions
• Get involved in local and national pharmacy associations and boards

Public Policymakers

• Contact your local Health Mart Pharmacy to learn more about their business and the vital service they provide to the members of your community
• Visit your community’s pharmacy owners to ask their opinions on laws that may affect their business
• Understand the full impact that new legislation on drug importation, Medicare, and other health care reforms may have on your local business owners before making a decision