Carmichael Village Pharmacy

By Bob Cox

No matter what age you are, I’m confident you’ll agree that there are infinitely more enjoyable ways to spend your time than standing in a long line at your pharmacy to drop off or pick up a prescription. There’s just something about standing in one spot for long periods of time that often brings out the worst in us. For people with health and mobility challenges, this unpleasant but simple task is anything but simple.

Fortunately, there is now a better way to get the medications you need while also avoiding all the crowds and chaos. Carmichael Village Pharmacy is a locally owned and operated business right here in Carmichael and they offer every customer the convenience of free delivery. That’s right; they do this for every customer at no extra charge.

Unlike all the big box chain stores, Carmichael Village Pharmacy is independently owned and operated. This local business is doing a number of unique and extraordinary things to make life a little easier, safer and more pleasant for their customers.

I spoke with Saira Rafiq, the owner of Carmichael Village Pharmacy to learn more about her fresh approach to doing business.

Q: Why did you decide to become a pharmacist?

A: I’ve always wanted to help people because I’m a sympathetic person. I’ve been that way ever since childhood and have always wanted to be a pharmacist.

Q: What experiences have helped you open your own pharmacy?

A: I worked at a chain store pharmacy for several years. I always thought I could help people out a little more by going out of my way and that’s why I opened my own pharmacy. I felt like I could really help our customers by offering free delivery.

Q: Tell us about your free delivery and is there a catch?

A: No, there’s no catch. As long as you are a customer of ours, we will deliver your medications for free.

Q: What motivated you to offer free delivery?

A: We have a lot of senior citizens here in Carmichael and many have a difficult time getting to their pharmacy to drop off and pick up their prescriptions. I wanted to help them by taking this burden off their shoulders.

Q: Do you have a system that helps your customers remember which medications to take and when to take them?

A: Yes, we offer a bubble pack, which is like a pillbox. We separate the medications for each time of day, including morning, noon, evening and bedtime. We separate each medication for a whole week in every bubble. Many of our customers receive four bubble packs at one time, which is nearly a month’s supply. We provide this service and the bubble packs for free to all of our customers because we want them to stay on top of their medications.

Q: Before you offered bubble packs, was it common for your customers to forget to take their medications as prescribed?

A: Yes, because a lot of our customers rely on several medications every day and not all medications are taken in the same quantities and intervals. A lot of our customers were having trouble remembering which medications to take and what time to take them. Many medications are vital and even life saving, so I didn’t want any of our customers to skip a single dose and run the risk of a serious health crisis.

Q: Have the bubble packs helped your customers stay organized?

A: Yes, and I’ve seen really good results. The readmission rates in the local hospitals have really decreased because fewer people have been unintentionally skipping doses and failing to take their medications. That’s why I came into this field, because I really wanted to help out the community.

Q: What types of insurance does Carmichael Village Pharmacy (CVP) accept?

A: We accept most insurance plans, including Medi-Cal, Blue Cross, Molina and Health Net. We also accept Tri Care and Medicare Part D Plans. Co-payments should be the same as compared to the big box chains.

Q: What other services does CVP offer?

A: Along with our free delivery and free bubble packaging, we offer compounding, vaccinations, veterinarian medications and medical supplies. We also accept expired prescription medications and have a special drop off box inside our store.

Q: What is compounding?

A: Compounding is a customized dose size. Some of the dosing sizes of medications a doctor prescribes are not available in standard commercial medications. When this occurs, the pharmacist must make it in the pharmacy.

Q: What do your customers love most about CVP?

A: They love the convenience, the free delivery and most importantly our service. We are not like many big box chain stores. I go out of my way to help them as much as I can.

Q: What else makes CVP special and unique?

A: We also offer Medicare Part D consultations for free. As many people know, October to December is enrollment time for the Medicare Part D Plans, which can be very confusing. We help our customers select the best plan that covers more of the costs of their medications, so they end up paying less out of pocket.

Q: If someone wants to switch from their current pharmacy to CVP, how do they do this?

A: They just have to give us a call and we will take care of everything for them. We just need a few minutes to obtain basic information about themselves, their pharmacy and which medications they are taking. We will call their old pharmacy and transfer their prescriptions here.

Q: What do you do to ensure the best service?

A: If the patient has any questions, they can call us. We are available to answer all their questions about any prescription. If there’s any inflexion between two prescriptions we will take care of that immediately. Also, if a patient is taking any duplication of medicine, such as the same class of medication, we take care of that as well to ensure that they’re not double dosing on any medication.

Q: As a locally owned business, why does it make sense for the community to support you?

A: Because I really want help out the community, which is why I came into this business. Our customers can call me and get answers to their questions immediately, which is something you don’t always get from the big box pharmacies.

Editor’s notes: For more information about Carmichael Village Pharmacy, call (916) 436-4731, stop by their facility at 6633 Coyle Ave., Suite 1 in Carmichael or visit their website at www.carmichaelvillagepharmacy.com.