It's a Waste to Just Receive Medicine—The Reassurance of Having a "Consultable Pharmacist"

Remembering Questions After Leaving the Hospital

"I wish I had received a bit more explanation about this medication."

"I forgot to mention the medication I received from another hospital."

"It's difficult to continue taking this, but who should I consult?"

Questions that couldn't be articulated during the consultation often arise on the way home or at home. In such cases, a pharmacist is one of the resources to remember for consultation.

An article released by CVS Health and distributed via ACCESS Newswire on November 4, 2026, highlights the trust relationship with pharmacists as one of the important relationships supporting healthcare.

At the core is the work that is not visible only at the moment of handing over the medicine. Listening to questions, organizing concerns, and helping patients understand the treatment content. The pharmacy counter serves as the gateway to such dialogues.

What Does the "84% Trust" Figure Mean?

A striking figure in the original article is that 84% of American adults perceive pharmacies as a trustworthy source of medical information.

When reading this figure, it's important to consider the survey's background. The "2025 Rx Report" survey, commissioned by CVS Health and conducted by Morning Consult, took place from June 24 to July 1, 2025, targeting 2,207 U.S. consumers aged 18 and over, along with 996 pharmacists and 72 pharmacy technicians.

The company's announcement also includes another figure: 77% of adults trust their local pharmacists. It's necessary to distinguish between "evaluation of the pharmacy as a place" and "trust in familiar pharmacists."

Moreover, the original article is not a verification article by an independent news agency but a corporate release from CVS Health. It aims to widely inform about the role of pharmacists while also conveying the value of the company's business.

However, this doesn't mean the figures are meaningless. Nonetheless, it cannot be said that "Japanese people trust pharmacists at the same rate" or "trusting pharmacists will always improve health conditions."

What should be considered from this survey is not the competition for high trust but why people find value in consulting pharmacies.

Even After the Consultation, Patients' Questions Don't End

When receiving explanations from healthcare providers, you might think you understand. Yet, new questions arise when returning to daily life.

For example, irregular work hours make it difficult to incorporate the prescribed medication regimen into your life. Visiting multiple hospitals leaves you unsure how to convey medication information. You have leftover medication but find it hard to bring up.

These issues cannot be resolved just by knowing the medication names or dosages. It's necessary to articulate what you're struggling with in your actual life.

The CVS Health article also emphasizes the value of these everyday conversations. Pharmacists are depicted as supporters of patients' understanding regarding questions about prescription drugs, relationships with over-the-counter medications, and concerns about medication for chronic illnesses.

In Japan, the Ministry of Health, Labour and Welfare's materials also list the roles of community pharmacies and pharmacists, including checking for duplicate medications and interactions, confirming side effects, providing consultation, and contacting or recommending visits to doctors when necessary.

The questions you're wondering, "Is it okay to ask this?" are precisely the ones worth putting into words first.

Trust Means Being Able to Talk About Your Troubles Without Hiding Them

A good relationship with a pharmacist is not just about quietly listening to explanations and always answering "I understand."

Rather, it's important whether you can say, "Actually, I don't quite understand," "There are days I can't take it," or "It's hard to continue with the explained method."

From here, I would like to bring the questions raised in the original article closer to everyday life in Japan.

Reasons for patients hesitating to consult include not only a lack of knowledge but also hesitation. "They seem busy," "I've asked before," "I might get scolded for not taking it properly." Such feelings can sometimes stop conversations.

However, if you don't convey your troubles, the other party cannot know that you're troubled.

The value of a trustworthy consultation source is not always in providing reassuring answers. It's in organizing unknowns together, connecting to other healthcare providers if necessary, and not leaving points that need confirmation ambiguous.

Expanding the conversation at the pharmacy from "time to receive explanations" to "time to convey your situation" a little. That small change might make consultations easier.

Appreciation Seen on Social Media—The Weight of "Thank You Amidst Busyness"

Experiences shared on social media also provide insights when considering trust in pharmacists.

However, the following is not a direct response to the CVS Health article. It is a related public post about relationships with pharmacists and the work of pharmacies. The content of anonymous posts and the position of the posters have not been independently verified, nor is it a survey indicating trends in society as a whole.

On March 22, 2024, a user shared an experience of expressing gratitude to a pharmacist on the pharmacy-related community "r/WalgreensRx" on Reddit.

According to the poster, when they visited to request a lid for a medication container, the store was busy, and they had to wait. When they expressed understanding of the pharmacist's busyness and gratitude for the help, the pharmacist teared up and mentioned being tired due to understaffing.

In the replies, a person claiming to be an intern at a busy store also shared that words of understanding from patients support them in their daily work.

This exchange offers two perspectives on considering the value of pharmacies.

One is that even small responses can be helpful to patients. The other is that the professionals providing those responses also need leeway and support.

Trust is not something patients receive unilaterally but grows through dialogue. However, patient gratitude cannot resolve staffing shortages on the ground. We should consider not only accepting it as a warm episode but also the environment where sufficient listening can occur.

Not Leaving "Reliable Pharmacists" to Individual Efforts Alone

The image of pharmacists who are easy to consult, as depicted in the original article, is attractive. However, creating a pharmacy that is easy to consult requires not only expertise but also time and environment.

From the patient's perspective, having a pharmacist at the counter and being able to consult calmly are not the same. If there's a long line behind you, you might want to cut the conversation short. If it seems like others can hear your conversation, you might hesitate to consult.

This is not an issue that can be solved by the kindness of individual pharmacists alone.

Can time be secured according to the consultation content? Can privacy be considered? Can complex issues be handled without being burdened alone and in collaboration with doctors and other professions? These conditions should also support the trust patients feel.

If companies are to promote "pharmacists as reliable entities," then the working styles and systems that enable them to fulfill that role should also be questioned.

Recognizing the value of pharmacists should not be confused with demanding further burdens on the field.

In Japan, the First Step Is to Use the Medication Handbook as a "Tool for Conversation"

What Japanese readers can easily adopt is using the medication handbook for consultations.

The Government Public Relations Online introduces the medication handbook as a tool for accurately conveying information about medications, allergies, and side effects to doctors and pharmacists. Presenting it when using medical institutions and pharmacies is the basic usage.

What should be kept in mind here is not to end the conversation just by showing the record.

For example, try adding a phrase like the following.

• "I also receive medication from another hospital. Can you check it together?"
• "I also use over-the-counter medications. I'd like to tell you the names."
• "Can you explain the dosage again?"
• "I have leftover medication. How should I consult about it?"
• "It's a topic hard to discuss in front of others, but can I consult about it?"

There's no need to use difficult medical terms. It's enough to convey "what's happening" and "what's unclear" in words that can be understood.

The Ministry of Health, Labour and Welfare's materials also call for consulting doctors or pharmacists when medication is left over and avoiding self-judgment in discontinuing medication. Instead of adjusting medication yourself when in trouble, it's important to share the situation first.

Even with Digitalization, a "Person to Ask Questions" Is Necessary

The way medication information is handled is also changing.

The Ministry of Health, Labour and Welfare introduces the electronic medication handbook as a tool for managing medication history on smartphones and sharing it with doctors and pharmacists. Some services offer features like chatting with pharmacists and obtaining medication information linked with My Number Portal.

While it is meaningful to make records more portable and increase means of sharing information, having complete records is different from having the patient's questions resolved.

A list of medications doesn't automatically include the anxieties the patient can't express. Even with convenient systems, a counterpart to convey "this point is concerning" is necessary.

When considering future pharmacies, a perspective that focuses on whether you can ask questions when needed and share necessary information is more useful than a binary choice between digital or face-to-face.

The more tools evolve, the more it is questioned what kind of conversation can be had using that information.

Next Time You Go to the Pharmacy, Bring Just One Question

The question posed by the CVS Health article to Japanese readers is how they utilize their local pharmacies.

Receiving medication, settling the bill, and leaving. In that flow, is there something you "really wanted to ask a little about" that is being left behind?

Of course, not everything can be resolved at the pharmacy. Consulting a pharmacist is not a substitute for a consultation or examination. Still, having a specialist who can first convey the situation when troubled about medication is meaningful.

Next time you go to the pharmacy, try putting into words just one thing you're concerned about.

"I have something I want to confirm about this medication."

That one phrase might change your usual pharmacy into a place where you can talk about your treatment.

Sources and References

1. Published by FinanzNachrichten/Distributed by ACCESS Newswire: CVS Health "Why Trusted Pharmacists Remain One of Health Care’s Most Important Relationships"
   Corporate release dated November 4, 2026. Discusses trust relationships with pharmacists, medication consultations, and support for chronic diseases.
   https://www.finanznachrichten.de/nachrichten-2026-11/70036435-cvs-health-why-trusted-pharmacists-remain-one-of-health-care-s-most-important-relationships-200.htm

2. CVS Health "2025 Rx Report" Announcement Article
   Survey results showing that 84% of American adults evaluate pharmacies as a trustworthy source of medical information, and 77% trust their local pharmacists. Published on October 14, 2025.
   https://www.cvshealth.com/news/pharmacy/cvs-health-2025-rx-report-highlights-transformation-of-community-pharmacy.html

3. CVS Health "The Rx Report: Community Pharmacy Reimagined" Report
   Reference material confirming the survey period conducted by Morning Consult, the number of consumers, pharmacists, and pharmacy technicians targeted.
   https://www.cvshealth.com/content/dam/enterprise/cvs-enterprise/images/campaigns/rx-report-2025/CVS-2025-Rx-Report.pdf

4. Reddit "I made a pharmacist cry. In a good way."
   User experience and replies from March 22, 2024. Referenced to introduce gratitude to pharmacists and empathy for busy workplaces. Not a direct response to the original article.
   https://www.reddit.com/r/WalgreensRx/comments/1bl4hx1/

5. Ministry of Health, Labour and Welfare "National Elderly Medical Care and National Health Insurance Section Manager and Director Meeting" Reference Materials
   Referenced for "Guidance on Medication Consultation" within the materials. Discusses the roles of community pharmacies and pharmacists, checking for interactions, consulting on leftover medications, and avoiding self-judgment in discontinuing medication.
   https://www.mhlw.go.jp/content/12401000/001241645.pdf

6. Government Public Relations Online "What You Should Know About Medication Risks and Proper Usage"
   Information to record in the medication handbook and how to present it to doctors and pharmacists.
   https://www.gov-online.go.jp/article/201310/entry-8822.html

7. Ministry of Health, Labour and Welfare "Electronic Medication Handbook"
   Overview of the electronic medication handbook, sharing health information, and communication functions with pharmacists.
   https://www.mhlw.go.jp/stf/seisakunitsuite/bunya/e-okusuritecho.html