Welcome to The Family Pharmacist

Relatives and friends frequently ask me about prescription medicine, an over-the-counter drug, a vitamin supplement to use for an existing condition, and so on.  You know what? I love it. It challenges my ability to stay current as a licensed pharmacist, and if I don’t know the answer off the top of my head I love doing the research to find it.  We’re all getting a little older, and it’s still very rewarding for me to help those I love the most.

Years ago I coauthored a handbook on over-the-counter drugs and pharmacy products.  It needed updating, but today everything is electronic. Communication has to be short and to the point.  So, I decided to do a free e-newsletter to address many of the questions that family and friends have quizzed me about over the years.

I keep each issue to around 1000 words.  Since prescribed drugs are usually handled by your physician, most of the newsletters focus on tips about over-the-counter (OTC) products.  I have included some seasonal discussions but I also touch on things in the news media and areas of health and wellness that are always changing.  I address subjects you don’t normally see on a website or in a magazine, like the truth about expiration dates on drug packages.  More often than not I discuss ingredients rather than brand names (although I’ll give you some brands that contain the ingredients). Pharmacy products include more than drugs, so I’m trying to raise your OTC IQ about non-drug pharmacy items as well, things like blood pressure monitoring devices and home testing kits.

The Articles section listed on this page allows access to past issues and is organized by year and month in which the issue was written. I am currently submitting one newsletter each quarter.

I hope you find these newsletters useful and informative. Feel free to let others know of this website.

Bob Jaeger