Cough, cold, and flu season is always a busy time in the pharmacy filled with antibiotic scripts, OTCs, and so. much. Tamiflu©. This year, with back-to-back COVID tests and vaccines plus customers on the  hunt for the elusive home test, there doesn't seem to be a spare minute in the day to think about the other illnesses that have patients feeling yucky. In spite of the COVID chaos, we want to help make it easy for you to continue helping your patients take their medicine. We've put together these top tips for cough, cold, and flu season flavoring success:

James Drug Store of Denham Springs, LA has the kind of rich history that only a business that's served its community for almost 90 years can have. From the Great Depression, World War II, the eradication of Polio, 4 LSU Tiger Football National Championships, and now the fight against COVID-19, the pharmacy has been there to support their town through the ups, the downs, and everything in between. By staying on the forefront of pharmacy technology and providing excellent patient care, the team at James Drug Store has blended the old with the new to create something great. We spoke with pharmacist in charge Patrick Brian to learn how James Drug Store puts their motto, "where old-fashioned personal service meets modern day medicine" into action.

Geaux Tigers! The James Drug team decked out in their purple and gold for an LSU win

As kids head back to school, it’s inevitable that families will be stuck dealing with the bugs that pop up this time of year, including strep throat, bacterial infections, and the flu. Along with those illnesses comes the stress many parents experience when their children resist taking the medicine they need to get better. We’ve put together a few simple tips and tricks pharmacy professionals can share with parents to help kids take the medicine they need to get them healthy and back to school.

Back to school is almost here, and for pharmacies that can mean more parents with sick kids in need of medicine. There are many bugs out there, both bacterial and viral, that will be sending kids to the doctor's office in need of medicine once they head back to school including strep throat, ear infections, sinus infections, and the flu.   

When a child gets sick, it's important that they take their medicine as prescribed. Missed doses or an unfinished regimen can cause a longer illness, which means more missed school and activities, higher likelihood of disease spread, and one unhappy kiddo. A study completed over 2018-2019 found that 58% of children missed between 1 and 6 days of school due to illness or injury. 

Luckily, pharmacy professionals have an effective, easy solution up their sleeves to help kids take their medicine the way it needs to be taken. By adding a favorite flavor, they can help improve the taste of hundreds of medications and help kids feel better faster. We've put together this list to help you prepare for some of the most important medicines to flavor now that kids are back in school:

Problems giving a child medicine can be the stuff of nightmares for parents. No one wants to be the one attempting to give medicine to a screaming, writhing child who is determined to keep their lips locked shut, only to have them spit the medicine out. It's a common problem that all too many people face; 60% of parents report that medicine-time with their kids is highly stressful.