In Honor of American Pharmacists Month, Sam's Club® Pharmacies Host October Awareness Campaign Including Free Medication Check-Ups

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• Latin America - español

BENTONVILLE, Ark., Oct. 4 /PRNewswire/ -- Today, Sam's Club announced the launch of Making Sense of Your Medications, an awareness campaign to encourage patient consultations with a pharmacist to review their medications. Sam's Club pharmacists will offer free prescription check-ups in honor of American Pharmacists Month in October to both members and non-members.

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To participate, customers can bring all their medications, regardless of the pharmacy that filled the prescription, to a Sam's Club during regular pharmacy hours. No appointment is necessary. The awareness campaign begins Oct. 4 and will continue through Oct. 31.

"At Sam's Club, we believe that our pharmacists play an integral part of a patient's medical team," said Jill Turner-Mitchael, senior vice president, Sam's Club Health and Wellness. "Free prescription check-ups are a service that we provide year round, but many customers may not be aware that this service is available to them - that is why we are launching this awareness campaign during American Pharmacists Month."

The free prescription check-up includes:

• Advice on how to take medications to maximize effectiveness, including when and how to use them, whether they should be taken with food, what side effects may occur and more.
• Comprehensive assessment of all prescription medications to determine possible interactions, no matter where the prescriptions were filled by the customer.

"Our pharmacists know that being available for questions is important to our pharmacy customers," said Turner-Mitchael.

To locate a Sam's Club pharmacy visit samsclub.com.

Drug Plan Enrollment and Other Resources

October is also a prime time for companies to offer benefits enrollment, including drug plans. In addition, the federal government's Medicare Part D prescription drug plan enrollment is Nov. 15 – Dec. 31, 2010. Customers who visit any of the more than 500 Sam's Club pharmacies can also take advantage of free help navigating the national online enrollment site offered by the attending pharmacist. The options can seem complicated at first, but Sam's Club pharmacists are well-equipped to answer questions about them.

"You don't need a membership to use our pharmacy, so we want to invite our communities in and show them all the resources available at their local Sam's Club," said Turner-Mitchael. "We want people to know that our pharmacists are there for them, and available to provide trusted advice on the decisions that can affect their quality of life the most."

In addition, more than 400 Sam's Clubs with pharmacies are offering free health screenings on Oct. 9. The screenings, which are held quarterly, can help people detect a range of preventable health problems at the beginning of cold and flu season. Screenings may include bone density tests, screenings for osteoporosis, blood pressure checks and tests for cholesterol and glucose. Tests are geared for adults 18 and older.

According to an annual Gallup Poll, pharmacists are among the most trusted professions. The yearly ratings of honesty and ethics put pharmacists consistently high on the list, along with doctors and police officers, indicating a high level of confidence from the American public.

Sam's Club is located in 48 states and Puerto Rico, employs more than 1,200 pharmacists.

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About Sam's Club

Sam's Club is a division of Wal-Mart Stores, Inc., (NYSE: WMT). The first Sam's Club opened its doors in Midwest City, Okla., in 1983. Today, Sam's Club serves more than 47 million U.S. Members with locations nationwide, as well in Brazil, China and Mexico. Sam's Club saves its members on average 30.4 percent over grocery and specialty retailers by offering superior values on quality merchandise and services for home or work. Saving is made simple at Sam's Club. Visit samsclub.com for more information. 

SOURCE Sam's Club