One of the things the advisors at Waypoint wanted to do starting this year is to be more personal about our experiences with community pharmacists.  Below is a story from David Plaisance, one of our advisors in the Asheville, North Carolina office.

Community Pharmacists are an important member of your medical team of advisors.  I am on regular medication to maintain lipid levels and for high blood pressure.   A trip to my community pharmacist is more like a trip to my doctor or other professional medical advisor than a shopping trip.   Big box or grocery chain pharmacies by their very nature are much less personal.   Everyone in my community pharmacy knows me by my first name.  My pharmacist knows me both personally and medically.   They are trusted advisors and a valuable resource looking after my best interest.  I am confident that my medicines are dispensed properly, coordinated with my two doctors, and watched over for interactions, etc.   Once you have tried a small community pharmacy you will never go back to the others.  I believe, that as a small business owner, it is always important for a community to support its locally owned businesses.  I really appreciate the great service that community pharmacists provide to their community and want to see them survive well into the future.  The three reasons I believe everyone should use a community pharmacist are:

1. They treat you like a human being - the personal service I receive when I go into my community pharmacy is second to none.

2. They provide a needed, trusted, advisor to your medical team.

3. They promote a more thriving community.