If you have concerns about your blood pressure, you might regularly visit your local drugstore to pick up your prescribed blood pressure medication. It's important to understand, however, that your drugstore can do far more to help your blood pressure than simply dispense the medication that your family doctor has prescribed. While the services that individual drugstores offer can vary from location to location, here are some services that are frequently available for people who are concerned about their blood pressure.

Blood Pressure Testing

Many drugstores have blood pressure testing machines that people can use for free. Simply look for this station, sit down, insert your arm into the cuff, and follow the prompts on the screen. Within a moment, you'll have a reading of your current blood pressure. If you're struggling with how to use the machine, don't give up. Instead, approach the drugstore counter and ask for assistance. One of the pharmacists or another staff member will be able to help you with your testing to ensure that you have a proper reading.

Tracking Your Blood Pressure

It's a good idea to check your blood pressure from time to time, but it can be a little overwhelming to remember your numbers from each test. For example, you might be struggling to remember whether your latest test results indicate that your blood pressure is higher or lower than your last test. Some drugstores can take the guesswork out of this situation for their customers by providing tracking cards. Ask a staff member if he or she can set you up with a tracking card, which you'll use to note the blood pressure readings from each test. This will help you to assess whether things are moving in the right direction or not.

Blood Pressure Consulting

While you might automatically want to speak to your family doctor when you have concerns about your blood pressure, don't shy away from seeking the advice of your pharmacist in the meantime. He or she can look at your results and let you know if they're a little high or in the safe zone. If your blood pressure is high, your local pharmacist may give you some useful recommendations about how to work on lowering it. For example, if you're a smoker, the pharmacist will likely encourage you to quit this habit and may even give you some smoking cessation literature or discuss using some different products that are available at the drugstore to help you in this effort.

To learn more, contact a drugstore near you.