Your Pharmacist Probably Knows More About Your Health Than Your Doctor—Here’s Why

How could a pharmacist know more than your doctor?

First, your pharmacist knows all kinds of secrets that could help you, so perhaps it’s time to start tapping into this under-utilized health resource. A study published in June 2017 in the Annals of Allergy, Asthma and Immunology revealed one thing pharmacists know more about than physicians: penicillin allergy. Apparently, 78 percent of pharmacists knew penicillin allergy can resolve over time, while only 55 percent of physicians did. And it doesn’t stop there. “Pharmacists generally know a lot more about drugs than doctors,” writes David E. Williams, President of Health Business Group, on MedCityNews. “Plus they’re available in convenient locations and at convenient times. You don’t need an appointment and don’t have to pay. Pharmacists are loathe to second guess doctors, but get to know one and you’ll find they are a great source of information and will even give you their professional opinion on whether you are on the right drug.”

Tadeh Vartanian, PharmD, clinical pharmacist at CHA Hollywood Presbyterian Medical Center, adds that pharmacists play an integral role in the healthcare system by serving as a bridge between different specialties. “The knowledge that they possess beyond that of a physician will really depend on that physician’s specialty,” says Vartanian. “So although, for instance, a cardiologist may know the various antiarrhythmic agents very well, he or she may be less familiar with antibiotic agents, and specifically if any of them could affect the cardiovascular drugs that patient is taking. Pharmacists are the specialists that take all of that medical knowledge and bring it together to catch these types of potential errors, among many others.”