Pharmacy desk

by Dr. Hope Murphy, PharmD.

Welcome to the Moore County website! My name is Hope Murphy. I am a registered pharmacist in three states, and hold a PharmD degree. It is my aim to provide you with useful information regarding your medications and health, as well as to assist you in finding more in depth information that is reliable and trustworthy.

Let me tell you a little about what I can NOT do for you, especially over the internet. I cannot diagnose disease, because I am not an MD. So please, if you’re not sure what is going on, contact your doctor! It’s your health, it’s really all any of us has. Don’t wait!

I cannot fill your prescriptions. I cannot ask your doctor to call in a script for you (in another column, I will discuss why having your pharmacist call for a prescription for you actually costs you money). I cannot give emergency advice. I cannot respond to every inquiry with a personal response, unfortunately. And, for regulatory purposes, I’m afraid that a standard disclaimer can be found at the left of this and all future writings.

So, what CAN I do for you?

Pharmacists are your neighborhood drug experts. We like it very much when people ask us questions when they are coming in for their medications. It tells us that that particular person is engaged in his or her healthcare, and wants to be an active partner. In my own opinion, that means you get well faster. We are also useful when you are having a drug reaction. A side effect of a drug is expected, but it isn’t necessarily tolerable. Just because the drug makes you nauseated doesn’t mean you have to put up with it! There are usually other drugs in the same class that you can try, that won’t have the same side effect. But no one can get you those medications unless you speak up. Believe me, you are NOT bothering anyone! We are happy to go over side effects with anyone.

Pharmacists also are your last free health care contact. Although an appointment is helpful in a busier store, most of us don’t have to require that yet. We will talk with you about your side effects, interactions, and if something is working well for you. We will let you know how to take your medications to the greatest effect, and what to avoid while using those medications. Drugs are highly controlled for great reason; they can be incredibly helpful, or they can cause some real trouble. It’s important to use them to your best benefit; your pharmacist is happy to help you with that.

So, we like to be helpful! We’re a great resource for you to tap into. And for your specific questions regarding your medications, your pharmacist is your best bet. But for more general information questions, I would be happy to provide information as well. You can send questions to the webmaster (listed below), and I will address them on a monthly basis. Your input is important; I would like to talk about issues that are important to YOU. So feel free to let me know what those are.

Until next time,

Hope