On Fri, 4 Jun 2021 07:57:27 -0700 (PDT), polygonum_on_google
wrote:

snip

I go to my local pharmacy and pick up the medicine I get on repeat.

As we did prior Covid and can't say we generally had any major issues.
There was the odd time where the pharmacy was closed for lunch so if
we weren't also shopping nearby we would walk home and go again
another day or the odd 'not sure where it is did you put the
prescription in' type thing but that was generally resolved pretty
quickly. Not sure if the tin of chocolates we generally give them at
xmyth helps but ... ;-)

A significant part of my choice to do that is to ensure that we continue to have local pharmacies.

Do you think they could survive dispensing 'free' medicines alone? I
ask because we rarely *buy* anything from them, even though they sell
a fair range of products (it's a reasonably big branch).

We probably have 5 pharmacies within a 1 minute walk between them so
if any one went the others would pick up the slack.

If all but one went the chances are the remaining one would be
unlikely to go. ;-)

Another part is that I always check the dispensed medicine before leaving the counter.

Ah, I rarely do (my prescription is very simple and not immediately
life threatening (low dose blood pressure tablets) but the Mrs might
check if she's added some of the 'extra' stuff she needs now and
again.

Thus, if there are any issues, I can at least start to get them resolved there and then.

Makes sense.

Issues like switching makes, and expiry dates.

That must make things more complicated (having to check for such
stuff). I / we never have AFAIR. The right chemical formulation / drug
yes, not the other things (because they probably aren't time limited
*anyway*)?

Cheers, T i m