If you are looking for a San Diego pharmacy as a resource for home medical supplies and trained professionals, look to Balboa Pharmacy.

Trained to meet the needs of patients, and to become leaders in drug development and delivery in the 21st-century, pharmacists are health professionals who practice the art and science of pharmacy. In their traditional role, pharmacists typically take a request for medicines from a prescribing health care provider in the form of a medical prescription and dispense the medication to the patient and counsel them on the proper use and adverse effects of that medication.

• San Diego home medical supplies
• Medical equipment
• Rolling walkers

Pharmacists are sometimes small-business owners, owning the pharmacy in which they practice. Their specialized knowledge as skilled professionals makes them a vital part of any healthcare team. They act as a learned intermediary between patients and other healthcare providers to ensure that proper medical therapy is chosen and implemented in the best way possible.

Pharmacists have become increasingly important in the nation's healthcare system. FDA regulations have tightened and competition between drug companies and their generic counterparts has heated up. Therefore, pharmacists help their patients navigate the tricky process of choosing the right medication to fill a prescription.

With managed care programs causing patients to see many doctors, a pharmacist is often the last line of defense against dangerous drug interactions. Many pharmacies add value for customers by offering free health screenings, insurance discounts, and other referral services.

Seniors tend to listen to and trust pharmacist's recommendations more than other age group, according to the survey results. In terms of characteristics that are important when consumers decided to purchase a brand name prescription drug instead of a generic product, 53 percent said a pharmacist's recommendation was the most important reason--and 66 percent of the 50+ age group agreed with that statement.

The 50+ group also relies strongly on the pharmacist's recommendation in trying various types of alternative healthcare products, with 35 percent saying a pharmacist's recommendation is "very important," compared with 27 percent of the 18 to 49 age group. The 50+ consumer also responds strongly to a pharmacist's recommendation on purchasing a brand name OTC product, with 57 percent saying the pharmacist's recommendation was very important compared with 49 percent of the 18 to 49 age group.

Across all age groups, pharmacist availability and access ranks No. 1 in importance, 93 %, when selecting a pharmacy for medication purposes, followed closely by acceptance of health insurance. These were trailed substantially by factors such as price, hours of operation, wait time, location, drive-through pharmacy or an Internet site, which ranked as very important for only 5 percent of consumers.