PharmaChoice

For most people the pharmacy counter is the health service they use most often. Beyond dispensing, pharmacists field the questions that never quite justify a doctor's appointment: whether two medications interact, what to do about a dose that got missed, which over the counter option suits a particular symptom, and how a new prescription is meant to fit around meals and sleep. Vaccinations, blister packing and prescription renewals have become routine parts of the job as well.

Calling before you drive over saves time in a few situations. If a prescription is being transferred from another pharmacy, the staff usually need the name of the old one and a little time to make the request. If it is a refill, phoning it in beforehand means collecting rather than waiting. For anything less common, it is reasonable to ask whether the item is on the shelf before making the trip, particularly if you are coming in from Oliver, Osoyoos or one of the smaller communities that treat Penticton as their nearest full service town.