Service Excellence Delivered Locally
We were humbled to hear these words every day during the vaccination effort.
But, Being Here isn’t a given.
That was crystalized during the COVID-19 era, especially locally owned businesses.
To continue Being Here we hope to see many of you return as pharmacy customers — Rx’s can be transferred here.
Please see this video for the full story.
Thanks for supporting us being here!
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Better than good, you might say.
We value our insurance partners, they provide a needed service.
Many though, seek alternatives to some constraints included. Monthly or quarterly fills. Mandated mail order. You get the picture.
Numerous generic drugs are cheap. Cheap enough to provide a convenient alternative. This, and our teams desire to provide a valuable service, drove us to create another new offering.
GreaterRx now offers deep discounts on bulk supplies of generic drugs.
Select a 6-12 month supply of any medication on the list and get an instant price. You can even use the included calculator to see if it makes sense for you based your copay rates.
The generic drug market fluctuates, so get your quote today!
Permanent page for future reference is https://islanddrug.com/GreaterRx, but you can get your quote here as well:
Service Excellence, Delivered Locally.
Our tag line applies once again with this latest service offering.
Camano Island lost their only pharmacy in early 2019. A story repeated all too often across the country — 2003 to 2018, 1,231 of the nation’s 7,624 independent rural pharmacies closed.
A recent JAMA article concludes “pharmacy closures are associated with persistent, clinically significant declines in adherence to cardiovascular medications among older adults in the United States”.
Back to Camano.
We just hired a pharmacist at our La Conner location. She happens to live in Camano, not too far from the old pharmacy there. Robin asked if she could help deliver our services locally.
Starting Saturday, Feb 26th, Robin will personally deliver prescriptions filled from our La Conner location to a mutual pickup point at the IGA store in Camano Plaza (directions/map here). We are starting with twice a week, two hour windows, Tuesdays and alternating Friday/Saturday. As demand increases, we will work to expand days and hours.
To participate in our new Camano Service, a simple two step is all it takes:
For those not in Camano but in our other service areas, please consider supporting local pharmacies by transferring Rx’s our way. Thank you
Calendar is below and this page can always be found at https://islanddrug.com/camano or https://laconnerdrug.com/camano
Andy, our Director of Operations, added a sweet operation recently when he bought the iconic Popsie’s in Downtown Oak Harbor.
Popsie’s has long been known for its handmade popcorns, most famously its Carmel Corn. Other flavors include cheddar (white or yellow) and cinnamon.
Now, you can pick up these popcorn offerings at all of our locations!
We will also add some other specialty chocolates and popular items in store. You’ll have to check these out next visit.
For more info on Popsie’s here are the links:
Stop by and sweeten your day today!
We are transforming your prescription pickup.
Excited?
One of the COVID-19 experiences we have deployed — both with vaccines and testing — is keyword texting. Basically, a way to queue and prioritize from the convenience of your phone.
Now, we roll out the feature to schedule your trip to the pharmacy for prescriptions.
Texting PickupRx and the details of what and when you are picking up to our public phone numbers — or using a web form — kicks off the process.
This allows our staff to ensure all your items are ready BEFORE you arrive as expected.
Then once you are here, all that is left is a card swipe and signature. No, looking, checking, finishing up etc.
In. Out.
That simple.
Here is a visual:
Well technically it is not necessary.
But, many scenarios exist driving us to offer this enhanced service level.
As prescriptions come into us, we don’t know who is coming in today or next week.
So, if you leave your doc expecting a prescription, use PickupRx so our staff can process your new Rx ahead of next-week guy. Want to pick it up after work? Use the example above!
Sometimes we have to special order a medication. Others we have to discuss prescriptions with insurance companies before the prescription leaves. Many other scenarios abound, but you get the point.
So, its beneficial because we can align our workflow to match your schedule.
With the fluidity accompanying this pandemic, process changes elicit an expected response from our staff.
With PickupRx though, our team is excited to improve your experience.
Streamlined visits are more enjoyable from our side of the counter as well.
This feature is live at all three stores now.
Our public phone numbers all accept text messages:
Remember to include the PickupRx keyword (watch your autocorrect…it likes to throw in spaces)
So, try it today!
No phone or texting? No problem. The web interface is available here: https://islanddrug.com/PickupRx
Prescriptions not yet moved to us? That’s an easy fix to, simply transfer your prescriptions via this link. Then engage the PickupRx service.
COVID-19 brought many things.
For us, an opportunity to be part of a community response. Our team of dedicated staff and volunteers have performed exquisitely making vaccines available and now FREE testing.
As our company approaches 100,000 COVID-19 vaccines administered, we are moving to re-establish customer communication and pharmacy access.
Every time there is a change in COVID vaccine and testing guidelines — yes, it happens from time to time — our phones get overrun. More calls come in than staff on shift — by about 10x or more at times.
We are diverting some COVID-19 duties away from pharmacy staff to ensure their accessibility to pharmacy customers.
For all COVID-19 vaccine and testing calls, the staff at option 2 (for Gift Department) are set up and trained to handle inquiries. This includes assistance with appointment and the like.
While we can’t say there still won’t be times where more people call than are working, we can say the new system is working well so far.
Please do NOT ring the pharmacy staff (option 1) for COVID questions.
We also have a dedicated digital communications supervisor covering inbound email and text messages (you can text our landline numbers!) to ensure responses are issued.
We are also separating COVID-19 testing from pharmacy customer lines.
This means when you visit the drive thru or pharmacy counter, you won’t be behind those looking to get tested!
Our testing queue will remain in their cars and only come in (for just long enough to swab) and be serviced at areas separate from the pharmacy pickup. We are managing testing via our custom texting platform, please don’t forget your phone! Instructions are provided upon registration.
This strategy will serve well to keep symptomatic people away from the general pharmacy and vaccine public as well bring back priority access to our pharmacy team for our valued prescription-filling customers.
We appreciate everyone’s support and patience as we worked thru COVID — especially our pharmacy customers.
As you visit for testing and vaccines, please consider transferring your prescriptions here. Our pharmacy team values the opportunity!
December 15th we are excited to welcome new TRICARE customers.
Walmart is no longer accepting TRICARE as of that date.
If you have a prescription at Walmart, Sam’s Club, or any other impacted pharmacy, you need to transfer it to a new network pharmacy before Dec. 15.
https://newsroom.tricare.mil/Articles/Article/2832307/changes-coming-to-tricare-retail-network-pharmacies
We have a seamless process to transfer prescriptions to our stores via this link:
For those new to the area, a little historical context.
We have long been proud to serve members of the military community — past, present, and future.
Our former owner was so proud of brining local prescription service covered for our military service members to this community, it made his recent obituary.
In 1986, Bill bought Island Drug in Oak Harbor, Wash. He added a number of innovative services, including a drive-up window, prescription delivery, nursing home consulting, compounding and homemade fudge. His was the first pharmacy on Whidbey Island to accept Champus Military Insurance, which was greatly appreciated by the families of the military personnel stationed at Naval Air Station Whidbey Island.
https://www.whidbeyweekly.com/obituaries/william-richard-bulpin/
Miss ya Bill!
We value our loyal customers.
As a pharmacy, especially those who choose to fill their prescriptions here (you can transfer Rx’s here any time!).
Thru the COVID vaccination frenzy, our pharmacy customer’s patience was tested as we lead a regional effort. Long lines, jammed phone lines, etc.
Now a little token of our appreciation.
We have 4 tickets to each of the first two Seahawk games at Lumen field. Four winners will get two tickets each.
Here are the details:
Current Drawings Closed.
Thanks again to the communities in which we operate. Your support is amazing!
I have had the privilege of working with Dr. Mark Duncan closely on many patients who want to venture outside the standard treatments.
We have built an excellent working relationship and a collection of successful experiences improving health outcomes.
One avenue is compounding — the custom formulation of ingredients by pharmacists. Compounding is a great way to tailor a solution to an individual.
For compounding to work, step one is for the prescriber to understand the terrain. Understandably, many don’t — there simply isn’t enough time to consume all the conventional medical literature and alternative approaches. So, for many the process stops before it starts.
With Dr. Duncan and I, we have combined our knowledge/experience to offer this service to many patients thru our practices — him at North/South Island Medical, me at Island Drug.
A few of these compounds are so effective and safe, in addition to not requiring lab work, we want to share with a broader population.
Prescriptive Optimization (Aaron’s Health Coaching Site) now offers virtual consults with Dr. Duncan to clinically screen for appropriateness of two exciting compounds.
Clioquinol is a topically applied zinc based medication that nourishes the prostate. Lowering zinc ties to declining prostate function. We see multiple nightly trips to the restroom — devastating sleep — reduced to 1 or none within days!
Synapsin is a nose spray with a combination of two ingredients nourishing the brain. One is an anti-inflammatory, the other is an energy precursor. The combo combats brain fog and fosters a pronounced improvement in deep sleep. Stress causing brain inflammation. Know anyone with a little stress?
More may come on line soon.
If you know anyone who can benefit from less nighttime pee stops or unrelenting brain fog, you now have an option.
Simply fill out the consult form on the Prescriptive Optimization site. After submitting, it lands you at Island Drug where you can choose pickup or mail. Currently, we only mail in WA state. Then, if Dr. Duncan approves, a prescription is faxed in to Island Drug. Our compounding lab will begin work soon after.
We hope you or someone you know will benefit from our experience by taking this highly accessible onramp to alternative options. Options we have witnessed deliver remarkable results.
Thanks for reading, please don’t hesitate to share!
Aaron
We appear to be crossing a threshold.
Vaccine supply/demand now favors inventory on hand. We have a lot of all three manufacturers. And, we have increasing appointment openings.
With that, we have a couple exciting offerings.
COVID-19 vaccine experiences rightly associate with long lines. We have seen it here and our mass clinics.
Now, as supply overtakes demand, the lines will dissipate. But, not entirely.
So, we now have live traffic indicators. This will allow you to view our on the ground situation and plan accordingly.
A stoplight shows for each location.
Green
Easy in, easy out. Minimal to no lines. Parking good.
Yellow
Some lines present. Moving steadily. Some parking.
Red
Lines present and longer – may be outside the door. Moving but the wait may be 15 min or longer. Parking full, may have to find a spot down the road a bit.
Our pharmacy customers are awesome! We appreciate them sticking with us thru this vaccine experience.
This tool will allow them to know as well what the situation is on site.
With good supply and a little more time, we can now venture out and reach people where they work and live.
Many people who work haven’t had time to invest in the big vaccine clinic experience.
So, we come to you!