On-Site Pharmacy Questions and Answers

Pharmacists are responsible for filling prescriptions that patients bring in and then keeping electronic records for future reference. Pharmacists will dispense the prescription as outlined by the doctor’s instructions, including any key dosage details on the prescription label and any of the warning stickers for how the medication is to be taken or important side effects the patient needs to know. They review the prescriptions for accuracy and check for any drug interactions. When a pharmacist receives a paper prescription from an individual, they will scan it into their system and enter all of the relevant information into the database. After that, the paper prescription itself is no longer needed, so it is shredded or disposed of in a secure manner so as to protect the private information that the page contains. Pharmacies are required to keep records of prescriptions for several years, whether through paper filings or electronically. Many pharmacies have now switched over to electronic records due to space constraints and simplicity for finding the information they require. The State Board of Pharmacy will lay out rules by state for how long records are required to be kept, with rules varying by state. The rules can be different for controlled substances versus non-controlled drugs. The records must be readily available should they ever be needed for inspection by the Board of Pharmacy or if there is a question regarding a case from the DEA, FDA, insurance companies or any other legal body that may require access to prescription records.

There are several different types of pharmacies, based on their location or specializations in the pharmaceutical field. The most familiar and widely known is the community pharmacy, also known as a retail pharmacy. It is usually part of a larger store that provides over-the-counter medications, so the pharmacists are able to fill prescriptions and offer advice to patients on non-prescription medications. A hospital pharmacy is also fairly common as they are located in a hospital, medical clinic or nursing home. In this case, the pharmacists work closely with the health care professionals on the medication requirements of the patients in the facility. They may also fill prescriptions on an outpatient basis for individuals who were given a prescription by one of the doctors in the clinic or hospital to avoid the patient having to make an additional stop. An industrial pharmacy is involved in the research, production, packaging, quality control, marketing and sale of goods for pharmaceutical purposes. Compounding pharmacies focus on the production and preparation of medicines from their current state into new forms to assist in the administration to certain patients who may have trouble taking the medication in its current form. Consulting pharmacies are relatively new and focus on a theoretical review of medications as opposed to dispensing medications. There are many other types of pharmacies, targeted to different types of patient care or research and development of new medications.

Our pharmacy is located inside our urgent care facility to allow patients easy access for filling prescriptions. This provides patients visiting the clinic with a convenient option for fulfilling the prescriptions given to them by the doctor or health care professional who treated them in the clinic. Not only does it provide a convenient option for our patients, it also makes it more likely that the patient will start their treatment immediately as directed by the prescribing doctor. By giving the patient the ability to fill their prescription before they even leave the building, it helps to ensure that they have the medication needed on hand for the first dose, instead of having to find an open pharmacy elsewhere or find time the next day to get to a pharmacy close to their house during business hours. If you have any more questions, call us now.

We serve patients from Downtown Long Beach CA, Bixby Knolls Long Beach CA, Paramount CA, East Side CA, and Los Altos CA.