Benefits of Choosing a Local Pharmacy vs a Chain Pharmacy
When choosing a pharmacy, it can be important to acknowledge that both local and chain pharmacies have benefits. A few factors that may differentiate the two are commitment to personal care, services required, and community support. While a chain pharmacy might have its benefits, a local pharmacy is going to be a choice that provides a much more personalized level of care.
What is meant by Local Pharmacy?
A local pharmacy operates as a small, locally owned business. A local pharmacy will be operated and organized by a local pharmacist and this pharmacist will be caring for the community. A local pharmacy will not have locations in other towns or even any other locations in the same town. As it is not a chain and is not a part of another chain, a local pharmacy will operate independently.
What is the Main Role of a Pharmacy?
A pharmacy is meant to fill medication orders from a doctor. Pharmacies work closely with doctors to meet the needs of the patient. Pharmacists have multiple roles. They are in charge of filling prescriptions, consulting with patients, and overseeing pharmaceutical transactions that occur at their pharmacy.
Benefits of Choosing a Local Pharmacy vs. a Chain Pharmacy
- Pricing Differences
A local pharmacy may work under a lower profit margin. This may allow them to offer medications at a slightly reduced rate. In addition, pharmacists can sometimes order medications or products to fit the specific needs of their patients. - Personalized Experience
Working with a local pharmacy instead of a chain means that individuals will be getting a personalized experience. In the case of West TN Pharmaceutical Care, we serve assisted living facilities. This means that our services work very closely to identify the needs of patients within the assisted living facility with which we are affiliated. The personalized experience with a local pharmacy simply cannot be replicated by a chain pharmacy. - Delivery Services
Local pharmacies may offer medication delivery services. West TN Pharmaceutical Care offers delivery directly from pharmacy to agency. That means that if you are an assisted living facility or a supported living facility, medications will be delivered directly to you. - Pharmacist Consultations
Working with a smaller, local pharmacist means that individuals will be able to consult with a pharmacist when they need a consultation. Unlike the experience of using a chain pharmacy, when choosing a local pharmacy, patients are less likely to get lost in the shuffle of filling many prescriptions. - Access to Specialized Products
Local Pharmacies may carry unique items or specialized products that may not be available at chain pharmacies. This is a quality that will be very important to individuals with special needs or particular preferences. - Small Business Support
Chain pharmacies don’t necessarily have a vested interest in the local community. In contrast, local pharmacies are small businesses. They support the community, and they can be supported by the community as well. Choosing a local pharmacy means that you are also supporting your local community. - Efficiency
Smaller, local pharmacies will likely have shorter lines and shorter wait times. Not only that, the wait for a vaccine will likely be much shorter. This applies to the Flu vaccine and the COVID vaccine. Saving this time means that you will be able to be more efficient when securing the prescriptions you need.
Accuracy
For chain pharmacies, filling prescriptions in bulk may leave much more room for error than the service that is offered at a local pharmacy. Chain pharmacies are flooded with prescription requests, and this may not lend itself to accuracy. But when agencies work with local pharmacies, individual attention is given to each prescription, and it is much more likely that the prescriptions will be filled more accurately.
Conclusion
There are many reasons to choose a local pharmacy, just like there are many reasons to choose a chain pharmacy. However, for those seeking a personalized level of service and customized care, the choice is clear. A local pharmacy is the best option for most people and agencies. When seeking service for your agency, you may be interested in our additional services. These include.
- Medication Blister Packaging
This packaging design helps patients keep track of their medication, preventing missed doses or accidental double doses. - eMAR
Electronic Medication Administration Records is a way to simplify health records. - DIDD partnership
The Department of Intellectual and Developmental Disabilities is an agency in Tennessee that assists individuals who are in this category with their medical and prescription needs. They work to provide family support and cost-effective medical options. - Medication Adherence
At West TN Pharmaceutical Care we seek to create an environment of consistency for our agencies and our patients. We want to ensure that our patients are adhering to strict medical guidelines.
West Tennessee Pharmaceutical Care
At West TN Pharmaceutical Care we are committed to building a relationship with our clients and our patients. West TN Pharmaceutical Care can inform potential clients about what we have to offer on our blog. Offering the best in the industry in assisted living pharmaceutical care, we serve our patients with the best possible options.
Being a closed pharmacy that serves the needs of assisted living and/or supported living facilities, we are in the business of personalized service. Our 20+ years of experience provide your facility with customized pharmaceutical care. We offer many pharmaceutical services to Jackson, TN, and the surrounding area. To apply for service visit our application page or just to get more information, visit our website or call (731) 554-9872.