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Comment by maqr | Hacker News Reader

I've seen that "I do not wish to have a consultation" box countless times, but I've never questioned why it's there. What happens if you request the consultation? My understanding has always been that pharmacies are drug dispensaries with very little to offer in the way of medical consultations, as that's the role of the doctor who prescribed the drugs. I'm not even sure what they would consult with you about.

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Actual pharmacists are very knowledgeable about the drugs that they give out, in some cases more so than the doctors prescribing them (as many doctors will readily tell you). Doctors in hospitals frequently consult the hospital's pharmacists with questions about particular things (like drug interactions).

Yes, it's entirely normal in Germany to just walk in and consult a pharmacist about minor problems. They're generally quite friendly and not too busy, even in the middle of Berlin.

This used to be common in the US as well, but no longer. This is something that seems to have disappeared as the larger chain stores have take over the field.

I've found pharmacists to be perfectly knowledgeable at large chain stores.

Like Berlin, they also seem to be a pretty underutilized resource.

When I was in the US, I had no issues with consulting with pharmacists at the Fred Meyer's Pharmacy nor at Walgreen's. No one encouraged me to not have a consultation, and they were very professional.

Even at chain stores in the US, one of the people behind the counter is a pharmacist who went to grad school for five years studying this stuff. (The person actually giving you your medication may only be a pharmacy tech, but they have to have a pharmacist behind the counter whenever they're open.)

Yes. The pharmacist almost certainly knows much more about drugs in general than a doctor does. The doctor is familiar with the drugs he prescribes, sure, but may not be at all familiar with the drugs that your other doctor prescribed. That is, your dermatologist knows all about dermatology drugs, but may not know much about your blood pressure or antidepressant medicine (in particular, that one of those drugs has a bad interaction with the dermatology medicine he's prescribing).

That's also why it's important to always go to the same pharmacy if you can. If you switch to a new one, make sure to switch all your prescriptions at the same time.

Pharmacists are well-versed on drug interactions and side effects. Although doctors should provide an exhaustive list of side-effects and special instructions, they often don't. Plus, even when they do, the bewildered patient can easily forget. As for the little labels that say "don't drive while using this!" it never hurts for a bit of reinforcement and calling it to their attention.

My pharmacy sometimes goes out of their way to offer me a consultation or indicate they are available if I have any questions. I usually respond that I've been taking the same medication for my entire adult life and I think I have the hang of it.

Pharmacists are good for info on interactions, possible side effects, clarification on when/how to take, what to do if you miss a dose, etc. My family has about two dozen prescriptions all told and they can be very helpful.

Pharmacists know a lot about drugs and all sorts of other things.

If you have chronic conditions that require medication from a specialist, they are usually the folks who prevent you from having a harmful interaction when your GP or some other doc prescribes you something without asking or thinking.

The box is there because the NYC pharmacy is busy, and checking the box helps the to avoid being sued.

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