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REFILL RX TRANSFER RX Why You Should Choose a Local Pharmacy Shopping local is always a topic that is near and dear to a community pharmacy’s heart. We are part of the community we serve; we raise our kids here, we support the local economy, and we care about the people we serve, our neighbors. But we also know that there is a world of options at the click of a mouse or a tap of a finger. It’s true for clothes shopping, it’s true for food selections, and – more and more – it’s true for your medications. So why choose to visit a local independent pharmacy over a chain pharmacy, a mail-order option, or even an online retailer? Because choosing the right pharmacy for you and your family is as important as choosing the right doctor, and you should trust your health to someone who gets to know you. Why is picking a pharmacy so important? Pharmacists play a crucial role in helping you on your path to better health, and research shows that the average person sees their pharmacist 7 to 10 times more often than they see their doctor. It is important to find a pharmacy that can fulfill all your healthcare needs. Using multiple pharmacies to fill different prescriptions can mean that no one pharmacy knows everything that you are needing. This may lead to negative drug interactions or side effects because the pharmacy team doesn’t have the full picture. Finding the right pharmacy for you does not need to be a long or difficult process. A good place to start is by asking yourself some basic questions: Does your pharmacist take the time to talk with you about your medications and answer your questions? Does your pharmacy team offer a variety of health and wellness services such as immunizations, diabetes management, asthma control, or other health-related offerings? Does the pharmacy team seem genuinely interested in you and your family’s healthcare needs? Does your pharmacy offer recommendations on over-the-counter products and inform you which ones NOT to take with your prescription? Why should I choose an independent pharmacy? We like the convenience of one-click orders and home delivery, so it’s tempting to do the same for prescriptions as well. But not all convenient pharmacy services are created equal. Choose an option that does more than just fill a prescription — choose a pharmacy that gets to know you. Independent pharmacies have been providing more than prescriptions for years if not decades. In addition to filling prescriptions, pharmacists are consulted to: provide medication reviews and counseling educate on a number of health conditions monitor health goals and offer wellness solutions communicate needed refills — and also communicate when they may not be needed anymore administer immunizations, including flu and COVID-19 The list of services offered at a local independent pharmacy is continually growing and evolving to best serve our communities. Pharmacists work closely with local prescribers to ensure our patients have all the information and guidance needed to live a long and healthy life. Take advantage of the numerous ways your independent pharmacy can help. The National Community Pharmacists Association (NCPA) conducted a census of community pharmacists in the United States, and they reported that in 2021: 88% consider themselves full-line pharmacies 92% provide wound care 91% provide medication synchronization 77% offer compliance packaging 87% administer flu shots 70% offer delivery It is not always about the fastest option or the most convenient one. Your health and that of your family is too important to settle for just convenience. When you choose an independent pharmacy, you will experience more than fast and easy. Why should I pick an independent instead of a mail order? The convenience of getting your medications delivered in the mail may seem like a perk, but there are some significant risks associated with it. Your prescription could be lost or never arrive. You could the wrong amount – or the wrong drug entirely. According to the 2021 NCPA Digest, 60% of community pharmacists reported that patients had mail-order medication left outside rather than being delivered to the patient directly. Medications can lose their effectiveness when left in too hot or too cold of temperatures. 44% reported patients getting the wrong amount of a drug. 26% said patients received the wrong medicine. 25% reported patients’ medication going to the wrong address. 98% have had patients that received the delivery late or never received their medication at all. An article from Consumer Action for a Strong Economy (CAS) states, “While mailing a prescription may sound routine, most patients forced to wait for these services are those with complex or life-threatening conditions such as cancer. Delaying these treatments can have serious repercussions for these patients’ health and potentially lessens their outlook.” Before opting into receiving your medications via mail order, compare the perceived convenience to the benefits of working with a local pharmacy. One-on-one medication counseling When using mail-order services, there is no way of knowing who is filling your prescription from month to month. It may not even be a pharmacist filling it. The lack of two-way communication puts you at higher risk because they may not be aware of changes in your health or any medication side effects you may be experiencing. Your pharmacist should help you feel comfortable asking questions about your health and can offer a faster response to your medication needs. Customized care Mail-order pharmacies are only able to provide the medications themselves. Local pharmacies offer a variety of complementary services to address your whole health. Providing recommendations on supplements, access to a pharmacist who can answer any questions or issues that may arise, and regular follow-ups to ensure you get the quality care you deserve. Accurate refills When receiving your medications in the mail, you are accepting multiple risks that are completely out of your control. What happens if your doctor forgets to send in your prescription or refills for a few days? Now, not only do you not have your medications,

REFILL RX TRANSFER RX 4 Ways to Build Healthy Kids Every January, resolutions and healthy habits are at the top of everyone’s mind. The start of a new year is a great time to reflect on current habits and make a plan to reach new health and wellness goals. As you ring in the new year, have you considered healthy habits for your children as well? It’s important for kids to learn proper fitness, nutrition, and safety habits at a young age to set them up for success in the future. However, a healthy lifestyle for a child often looks very different from health goals for adults. Here are some ideas to help you and your child set healthy goals in the new year. Physical Activity Depending on the age of your child, the recommended amount of physical activity per day varies. According to the CDC, preschool-aged children (ages 3 through 5 years) should be physically active throughout the day for growth and development. ¹ Alternatively, children and adolescents ages 6 through 17 years should do 60 minutes (1 hour) or more of moderate-to-vigorous intensity physical activity each day, including daily aerobic – and activities that strengthen bones (like running or jumping) – 3 days each week, and that build muscles (like climbing or doing push-ups) – 3 days each week. The CDC breaks down physical activity for children into three types: Aerobic Activity: Aerobic activity should make up most of a child’s physical activity. This includes walking, running, swimming—anything that gets their heart beating faster! Muscle Strengthening: Muscle strengthening can include things like climbing, gymnastics, or doing push-ups. Young children typically don’t need formal muscle-strengthening programs like lifting weights but, as they get older, this can start to be incorporated into their fitness regimen. Bone Strengthening: Bone strengthening activities include running, jumping rope, skipping, or sports that involve jumping or rapid changes in direction. These weight-bearing activities require the body to work against gravity, which improves bone mass. Physical activity for a child should be diverse and fun! To help your child get the exercise they need, try signing them up for an after-school sport or plan an outdoor activity with the family. Helping with chores around the house can be a way to be physically active, too. Because children require daily physical activity, it’s important that they are also given the time they need to rest and recover. Vaccines Making sure your child is up to date on their immunizations is the best way to keep them safe from preventable diseases. Your child should be vaccinated against the following diseases in their lifetime: COVID-19 Diphtheria Hib Hepatitis A Hepatitis B Human papillomavirus Influenza Measles Meningococcal Meningococcal B Mumps Pertussis (whooping cough) Polio Pneumococcal Rotavirus Rubella Tetanus Varicella (chicken pox) Different vaccines are recommended at different stages in a child’s life. The CDC’s childhood vaccination timeline can be found here. Talk to a doctor or your local pharmacist to see what vaccines may be right for your child. Some vaccines are given as a series to children, and others need to be repeated annually. Vaccinating your child is only part of keeping them healthy. Staying on schedule with your own vaccines — and encouraging loved ones who are around your child to do the same — can help protect your child from being exposed to illness. By staying on top of your family’s immunization schedules, you can help keep yourselves and your community safe. Nutrition Nutrition needs vary based on age and activity level at any life stage, and the same holds true for kids. The food recommended for infants is not the same as what is recommended for preschoolers or teenagers. Kids develop taste preferences young, and those tastes can stay with them for a long time. Introducing healthy foods at a young age can start your kids on a healthy path; avoiding foods and beverages high in sugar or sodium can help cut down on sugar and salt cravings as your child grows. MyPlate.gov has lots of helpful tips for nutrition choices for any life stage. Some recommendations by life stage include: ³ Infants: It’s all about the drink at this stage. It’s recommended that infants stick to breastmilk, infant formula, and plain water for the first year of life – cow’s milk, fortified soy milk, and juice are not recommended until later. As you begin to introduce foods, be sure to experiment with food from all food groups. Foods rich in iron and zinc are especially important for breastfed babies. Talk to your pediatrician about whether your baby needs supplemental Vitamin D, too. Toddlers: Toddlers are learning the world around them, and that includes what they do and don’t like in their food. Have them try a variety of food and see what they enjoy – switch up the flavors, textures, and even colors. When it comes to beverages, try to stick to water when it’s not a meal; toddlers can fill up on drinks, making it harder to convince them to eat food when it’s mealtime. Preschoolers: Variety and balance are key at this stage. Recommended amounts of food can go out the window when faced with a child who just doesn’t want to eat or is eating to fuel a growth spurt. Don’t worry about the amount eaten at each meal – instead, focus on meeting the recommended goal over a few days or even a week. Introduce new foods alongside something that you know they love – and if they don’t want to try it the first time, keep trying! Encourage them to help you make the food to tempt them into trying the finished product. Older Kids: Aim to have half of your child’s plate filled with fruits and vegetables every day. Try different kinds of protein and stick to whole grain and low-fat options. Get the kiddos involved in the process! Having your child help unload groceries, prep your ingredients, and set the table can help them be more invested in what’s going

REFILL RX TRANSFER RX How Stress Relates to Heart Disease? To say that the last couple of years has been stressful would be an understatement for many of us and learning how to manage that stress was a challenge in and of itself. Everyone experiences stress differently and react to it in different ways. Regardless of your situation, significant or prolonged stress can lead to a variety of health issues. According to The American Heart Association: More research is needed to determine how stress contributes to heart disease — the leading killer of Americans. But stress may affect behaviors and factors that increase heart disease risk: high blood pressure and cholesterol levels, smoking, physical inactivity, and overeating. Some people may choose to drink too much alcohol or smoke cigarettes to “manage” their chronic stress, however, these habits can increase blood pressure and may damage artery walls. A stressful situation sets off a chain of events. Your body releases adrenaline, a hormone that temporarily causes your breathing and heart rate to speed up and your blood pressure to rise. These reactions prepare you to deal with the situation — the “fight or flight” response. When stress is constant, your body remains in high gear off and on for days or weeks at a time. Although the link between stress and heart disease isn’t clear, chronic stress may cause some people to drink too much alcohol which can increase your blood pressure and may damage the artery walls. Responses To Stress As mentioned previously, everyone responds to stress differently. Some may suffer from headaches, back strain, or stomach pains. Stress can also zap your energy, wreak havoc on your sleep and make you feel cranky, forgetful, and out of control.1 Additional responses to stress include feelings of anxiety, anger, depression, and impatience. When you are under stress do you eat, drink alcohol, smoke, work too much, procrastinate, sleep too little or too much or take on more responsibilities? If so, it likely means you are not dealing with stress as well as you should. Keep in mind, the use of alcohol, tobacco and caffeine can increase feelings of anxiety and increase your stress level and blood pressure. Managing Stress Although you cannot always control the stressors that are affecting your life, you can take steps to better manage how you respond to them. Whenever possible, try to control your mental and physical reactions to stressful situations. Below are ways to help manage and reduce your stress levels. Exercise Exercising for at least 30 minutes per day, four to five days per week, can help improve cardiovascular health by controlling weight, improving cholesterol, and lowering blood pressure. People who exercise have a reduced physical response to stress. Their blood pressure and heart rates don’t rise as high under stress as people who don’t exercise. Regular exercise can also reduce the risk of depression, another risk factor for heart disease. Talk It Out Whether to yourself or to others, talking through what is stressing you out can help reduce your stress. Practicing positive self-talk and focusing on turning a negative frame of mind into a positive one can work wonders. Instead of ‘I hate this,’ or ‘I can’t control this,’ think ‘I can handle this. I have done it before and can do it again.’ Maintaining an upbeat attitude and having a good laugh can help your heart by lowering stress hormone levels, reducing inflammation in your arteries, and increasing HDL or “good cholesterol”. Optimal levels of HDL are 60mg/dL for both men and women. Alternatively, building a support system of friends, family, neighbors, and loved ones can reduce your stress. Having at least one person you can rely on and talk to takes a heavy burden off you. Also – research shows that a lack of social support increases the chance of engaging in unhealthy behaviors. Finally, if you have constant feelings of depression or anxiety, talk with your doctor or pharmacist about medications that may help. Do Something Fun Read a book, go for a walk, take a bath or listen to your favorite music. Taking some time just for you every day will help you regain feelings of control over your environment. Avoiding things like reading emails, watching TV, and scrolling on social media, even for 15 to 30 minutes each day, will also help you break way from the stressors in this world. Try Meditation The practice of inward-focused thought and deep breathing has been shown to reduce heart disease risk factors like high blood pressure. Anyone can learn to meditate. Take a few minutes to sit somewhere quiet, close your eyes and focus on your breathing. Meditation’s close relatives – yoga and prayer – can also relax the mind and body.4 In 2020 meditation apps became increasingly popular to help calm the mind. Click here to review the best meditation apps, according to Healthline.com. Get Screened Did you know that 80% of heart disease and stroke events are preventable through lifestyle changes? Knowing your risk is the first step. Get your annual physical and talk with your doctor about any health concerns you may have. Below is a review of the most common cardiovascular disease screening tests: Blood Pressure High blood pressure is a serious condition, and over time can damage blood vessels or cause blood clots, both of which could lead to a stroke. Cholesterol Cholesterol is a waxy substance that sometimes binds with protein to cause plaque buildup in the arteries, which can lead to blood clots and the risk of stroke or heart attack. Cholesterol levels in the blood are one of many factors that help determine your risk for developing plaque buildup in the arteries. Body Weight Having a BMI of 25 or higher increases your risk of developing cardiovascular disease. It is important to actively manage your weight to help reduce long-term risk. Blood Glucose Blood glucose is very important to your survival: it is the primary energy source for the brain, and critical