November 2018
    What's Happening this month:

November 4th -- Daylight Savings Time ends
(Set your clocks back 1 hour)
November 6 -- Election Day, Remember to Vote!
November 22 -- Thanksgiving Day, Center Drug will be closed for the holiday
We are Thankful for all of our Great Customers!
November 24th -- Small Business Saturday
Old Fashioned Holiday in Hopkins
TRIPLE Loyalty Point Day!
(Watch our website and Facebook page for more info on our happenings for Small Business Saturday)
Please support your local pharmacy and all the other merchants in our area!
Small businesses help make Hopkins great!
thanksgiving-bounty-header.jpg
Now is the time---Get your Flu Shot!

The 2017-18 flu season was one of the deadliest in decades. Only 37.1% of adults got their flu vaccination last year, and this could have been one of the contributing factors to the bad season we experienced last year. CDC statistics from last year:

*49 million people were sickened by the flu
*960,000 people were hospitalized
*79,000 people died, this is the highest death rate from the flu dating back more than three decades!
*183 deaths were children, this is the highest number since pediatric deaths have been tracked, starting 14 years ago.

The Flu vaccine is not perfect, but it will reduce illness and serious complications such as hospitalizations and admission to intensive-care units. Flu activity is still at a low point for this year, so it is too early to predict what this coming flu season will be like, but do your part and get vaccinated! Almost all insurance companies are covering the Flu vaccination 100%--meaning there is no out of pocket cost to you--it's free! Flu season really gets into full swing by the end of November and into December. It takes your body about 2 weeks to build up immunity after getting a Flu shot, so now is the time to get vaccinated!

With the exception of Wednesday nights, and the first weekend of the month, we are able to give you a flu shot any time. Please stop by the pharmacy and ask for your flu shot today!
cold_sneeze.jpg
Cough/Cold and Flu Prevention Tips:

Make sure you are washing your hands frequently, or using hand sanitizer if you are unable to wash your hands. We have in stock the usual gel sanitizers such as Purell and its generic equivalents. We also have a new spray hand sanitizer. It is called Everyone Natural Spray, and comes in a handy 2 ounce spray bottle that easily fits in your purse, briefcase, or backpack and comes in scents such as coconut + lemon, peppermint + citrus, and lavender + aloe. This brand has been very popular since it hit our shelves. We carry HandClens, a 2 in 1 foaming sanitizer and lotion, that also comes in a small size that you can easily fit in your purse.  Always try to avoid touching your face, eyes, nose and mouth with unwashed hands as germs love these points of entry into your system.

Consider an immune boosting supplement. Emergen-C and Airborne are popular products that we carry. We also stock Ortho Molecular's Viracid in a handy 12 capsule pack--buy one today and have it in your purse, backpack or briefcase for when cold symptoms strike! Viracid includes a powerful combination of key nutrients and botanical extracts that provide immediate support for immune challenges. Viracid boosts your immune defenses by providing nutrients such as L-lysine, vitamins A and C, pantothenic acid, B12 and zinc, as well as botanicals such as black elderberry, astragalus, echinacea and andrographis.  Black elderberry is the latest botanical to be found to help soothe throat irritations. 
Emergen-C is on sale this month at $10.69 for a 30 count box. 
 
Remember to carry hand sanitizer with you, wash your hands, cover your cough, and stay home if you are not feeling well.

How do I know if it is a Cold or the Flu? The flu comes on very rapidly. You may feel fine one minute and the next you have a fever, sore throat, body aches and are exhausted! A Cold comes on gradually over time and usually is not accompanied by a fever. If you have flu symptoms that come on rapidly, it is important to get tested for the flu virus within 48 hours of the onset of your symptoms.  If you test positive for the flu virus, you can get an antiviral medication to shorten your illness, and prevent further flu complications.

Center Drug can test you for the flu virus, and if you test positive, we can get you medication per a protocol to treat the flu. We charge $50 for the flu test (which is not covered by insurance), but if it is positive, the medication to treat the virus would be covered on your insurance. Call ahead to make sure we have staff available to test you for the flu--no appointment is necessary. 
Center Drug is your Wellness Destination! We want to help you feel better when you are sick, but we also want to help keep you healthy so you can live a long, healthy life! To help you do this we offer:
* Immunizations--Flu, Shingles, & Pneumonia
* Strep and Flu testing
* Blood Glucose and Cholesterol testing
* MedSync
* Multi-dose packaging
* Nutrient Depletion Vitamin Program
* Free Vitamins for Seniors Program
* Consults with our Pharmacists
* Sockwell support stockings
November is American Diabetes Month and National Healthy Skin Month"
Even though the temperatures haven't fallen into the deep freeze yet, your skin may be screaming for moisture, and with the season of hand washing and sanitizing upon us, these actions do not help the dryness issue. Be kind to your skin, hands and feet (especially if you are diabetic), and get in the habit of using a good moisturizer daily. Preventing cracks in your hands will also help prevent germs from entering your system and will keep you healthier!  

Gloves in a Bottle Shielding Lotion comes in a 3.4 ounce tube and also a 2 ounce bottle that is convenient to carry in your purse, backpack or briefcase. This lotion enhances your skin's ability to retain natural oils and moisture, and helps to protect you against irritants in hand sanitizers, soaps and frequent hand washing's. This lotion is non-greasy, absorbs very quickly, and lasts through multiple hand washing's. It is a great lotion to use during the day, especially while at work. When at home, or at night, you may wish to apply a heavier lotion or cream as a moisturizer.  

Favorite lotions/creams of our pharmacy staff are:
* No-Crack cream
(available in 3 types -- day use, multi-use and night-use, as well as scented and unscented)
* Vanicream, Cerave, and Lubriderm
* Working Hands
* Eucerin

Most of these options are scent-free and hypoallergenic, so they won't irritate sensitive skin. Any of these products would be great for use on your hands, feet and body.

We do get asked frequently about some ingredients that are in most creams and lotions, and they are cetyl, stearyl or ceteraryl alcohol. Most people think that since these are alcohols they are going to be drying, and have no place in a lotion or cream. However, the above listed alcohols are known as fatty alcohols, and are not irritating in any way. These fatty alcohols are added because they work as emollients and thickeners, and make the creams/lotions more spreadable, and they soften your skin.  The alcohols that you want to avoid would be denatured alcohol and isopropyl alcohol, as these alcohols are very drying to your skin.
 
If you are diabetic, it is important to keep your feet moisturized and crack-free. We carry an excellent daily exfoliating cleanser by Dr. Canuso that can be used daily before applying a moisturizer. If you have cracks already in your heels and feet, we would recommend using the daily exfoliating cleanser, but also adding on Dr. Canuso's foot repair serum. The foot repair serum is ultra-hydration for your feet as it treats the causes of dry skin and cracked heels on a daily basis. Dr. Canuso products are also featured as a "favorite" product in Diabetic Living magazine.  
Storefront facelift - Construction update:

Construction should be wrapping up in the next couple weeks!

Our website shows the current state of the facade update, and you can also view all of the previous pictures/progress there too.

We should see our new sign installed Tuesday, November 6th. 

The brick is done, the soffit under the canopy is complete and our new lighting is in and working. After the sign is up, they will be finishing the metal work on the canopy, and some minor cosmetic finishes, and then we are complete! Before the snow flies, you should be able to park in front of the store again! 

We want to extend a huge Thank You to all of our customers for enduring the construction mess that lasted a bit longer than we expected due to weather. It seemed like it didn't rain all summer, and then we start construction--and it rained every week! 
 
We think that the guys at Grindstone Construction, and specifically our on-site Supervisor, Matt, did a great job of accommodating us and our customers during this project. Thanks Guys for the great new look! We also need to Thank our neighbors--Wilkus Architects--for designing our new facade. We couldn't be happier!

Also, Thank You to everyone who came in to help us celebrate on Saturday, October 20th at our "Almost Complete" Construction Celebration. It was a great time!
Upcoming Double Point Days:
(Be sure to mark your calendars)

Saturday, November 24th
(Triple Points for Small Business Saturday)

Wednesday, December 12th
Join us on social media

Are we friends on Facebook yet? Do you get our updates on twitter? If not, please follow, like and share soon. We're using social media more these days to let you know about the latest happenings in the store.

As we enter the Holiday season social media will be the best way to know as soon as possible about all the great deals and events we're planning! Make sure you get the first look at the great new items we'll have hitting the shelves. Many of our gift items are quite unique and that means when they're gone - they're gone!

Oh, and as always, if it's not too much of a bother, we would greatly appreciate you rating us on Facebook too. Thank you for helping us spread the word through social media!
                         
Thank you and we'll see you soon on facebook!

Check out our app! If you use a smartphone or tablet and would like another way to refill your prescriptions, then please download it today.
Gift Gab

November is here and that means it is time to give Thanks. I know that you have many other choices on where to stop and shop, and I am truly grateful for your business and support through the years!

Thank you!

November also means Thanksgiving dinners and get-togethers! Need something festive for your table? How about the perfect hostess gift? The gift department is “stuffed” full of fun ideas for both gift giving and home decorating, at very affordable prices. So stop in and “gobble” up all the great deals!

--Kelsey