Serving Edmonton since 1983, Medi-Drugs offers an experienced team of knowledgeable and competent pharmacists, pharmacy technicians, and assistants to meet your medication and health needs. Our pharmacy products and services are trusted by our patients and can be accessed at two different locations to better serve the people of Edmonton.
Pharmacy Services
“We are proud of our commitment to inclusivity and community engagement and do everything we can to foster a safe(r) space for everyone.”
We offer a range of pharmaceutical and home services to our patients, including assistance with vaccines and immunization services, medication reviews and specialty compounding.
Our Services
Vaccines, Immunization & Injection Services
As we age, our immune system naturally weakens, which makes it harder for our bodies to defend themselves against the microscopic pathogens (bacteria and viruses) all around and inside of us. This means that as we age, our risk of becoming seriously ill from pathogens increases. Things we may have been better at fighting off in our youth (influenza [flu], herpes zoster [shingles], respiratory syncytial virus [rsv], pneumococcal bacteria [pneumonia], etc) may now cause serious and sometimes fatal infections. The same can be said about individuals with certain chronic medical conditions like diabetes, COPD, asthma, and heart failure to name a few.
Vaccines are an incredibly safe and effective tool available to us that can help prevent illness. At Medi-Drugs, we believe it is our duty to provide services that best serve our community in living a long and prosperous life. We believe in being there for each of our patients, especially when they need it most, which is why we are available to counsel about, prescribe, and administer numerous different vaccines, both publicly and privately covered by insurance plans.
Medi-Drugs Pharmacy provides comfortable and professional vaccination services at both the Millcreek and Clareview locations.
Strep Throat Testing
Strep throat is a bacterial infection caused by Group A Streptococcal bacteria. The most common symptoms are a sudden and severe sore throat, pain when you swallow and fever. Other symptoms may include swollen tonsils and lymph nodes, headache, white or yellow spots on the back of a bright red throat. Cough is not a common symptom of Strep throat.
Our pharmacists will do an assessment to determine if the Rapid Antigen Test is appropriate. Some infections may be viral and will clear up on its own without the need for antibiotics. After consultation, if appropriate, a Rapid Antigen Strep Test can be performed at the pharmacy, with results in 5 minutes. If a positive test result is confirmed, our pharmacist can prescribe the appropriate antibiotic to treat the infection. We will also provide information on over the counter medications and non-drug measures to keep you comfortable while you recover.
Injectable Medication Administration
Gender Affirming Hormone Injection & Training
Many gender-affirming therapies can be injected, like testosterone, estradiol valerate, and Lupron. At both of our Medi-Drug locations, we have pharmacists who can administer your injectable gender-affirming hormones/therapies. At our Millcreek location, our team provides hormone administration and also specializes in hormone injection training. Come visit us to see how you can learn or improve your hormone injection technique – we are here for you whether this is your 1st or 500th injection.
Vitamin B12
Some people are prescribed injectable vitamin B12 to elevate low vitamin B12 levels detected in blood work. It is not uncommon for a person to be unable to absorb enough vitamin B12 from their diet or oral supplements to raise their levels to an appropriate range. Our pharmacy offers injectable vitamin B12 administration – please call us to arrange an appointment if needed.
Psychiatric Medications
Our pharmacies offer injection services for anyone requiring regularly scheduled injections for psychiatric medications like Abilify Maintena ®, Risperdal Consta ®, Invega Sustenna ®, and many more. Please call the pharmacy to arrange an appointment at one of your desired locations if needed.
Birth Control
Some forms of birth control are designed to be injected regularly. If you are prescribed a form of birth control that requires scheduled injections, our pharmacists can support you. Please call us for more information if needed.
Immunosuppressants/Biologics
Some patients may be prescribed immunosuppressing medications to help manage and control chronic medical conditions. Many of these medications require administration by injection and can be dangerous to handle without proper care and guidance. If you are taking an immunosuppressant, our pharmacists can provide your injections for you or assist you with training. Please call for more information if needed.
Allergy Serums
Some people with allergies may be prescribed an allergy serum that requires weekly, biweekly, or monthly injections. These serums often require refrigeration and follow a very specific dosing escalation schedule which is best handled by a healthcare professional like a pharmacist. If you have been prescribed an allergy serum (sometimes called ‘allergy shots’ or ‘allergy injections’) and require assistance with getting the process started, please call the pharmacy to schedule your injections.
Other
Our pharmacy offers injection services for a wide variety of intramuscular (into the muscle) and subcutaneous (into the fatty tissue below the skin) injections. Please call the pharmacy for more information about how we can assist or train you in injecting.
Travel Health
Planning your dream vacation or visiting friends and family in a different part of the world?
If you are planning your next trip, make sure to come int Medi-Drugs and ask about a Travel Health consultation. Protecting yourself from potential harmful diseases is very important when travelling abroad. Our pharmacy team can make health recommendation to ensure you have a safe and enjoyable trip.
Refill & Manage Your Prescriptions Today
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COVID-19 (Coronavirus)
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Influenza (Flu)
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Shingrix (Shingles)
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Pneumococcal (Pneumonia)
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dTap (Tetanus)
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AREXVY (RSV)
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Gardasil (HPV)
As winter approaches so does the flu season. If you are interested in curbing the spread of the flu that affects millions of Canadians each year, book your immunization shot today. Both of our locations offer influenza immunization services. It’s a simple process, that you can book online anytime. If you need to speak with one of our pharmacists, give us a call
Shingles can present as a painful rash caused by the same virus that leads to chickenpox. When someone is infected with chickenpox as a child, some of the virus remains behind throughout adulthood and can later reactivate to cause a painful shingles rash. The pain from shingles can be severe enough to interfere with our normal day-to-day activities such as walking and sleeping. Symptoms of shingles could include burning sensations, tingling, long-lasting nerve pain, or changes in vision, hearing, or sense of touch.
It is estimated that nearly 1 in 3 people will experience shingles in their lifetime – this risk increases after the age of 50. We encourage most people over the age of 50 to consider the Shingrix vaccine to reduce their risk of shingles and the long-term nerve pain that can result after infection.
Pneumonia is a lung condition that can commonly result from infection with pneumococcal bacteria. Certain people have a higher risk of severe infections, including people with chronic lung conditions, diabetes, weakened immune systems, or anyone over the age of 65. Two different types of pneumonia vaccines are offered by our pharmacy to reduce your risk. Speak to the pharmacy team to see which vaccine(s) may be best for you to prevent this potentially impairing or fatal condition.
Give us a call if you have any questions about our Pneumonia vaccination or if you would like to discuss what is best for your specific situation.
dTaP vaccination is recommended during most pregnancies and is publicly covered (for Albertans) for pharmacy administration.
This vaccine is recommended between weeks 27 and 32 of the pregnancy. Tetanus vaccines/boosters are also recommended for the general public (every 10 years), but accessing it through Alberta Public Health for this purpose is often a more cost-effective option.
Respiratory Syncytial Virus (RSV) is a common virus with cold-like symptoms. The symptoms; runny nose, cough, sneezing, wheezing, and fever usually occur within 2-8 days after exposure. Although RSV usually causes mild illness, some people may require hospitalization, especially in older persons and individuals who are
immunocompromised. As we age, our natural immune system declines and underlying medical conditions such as diabetes, heart and lung disease can be exacerbated by RSV infections, leading to severe outcomes. Our pharmacy offers the Arexvy vaccine. Arexvy is recommended for patients aged 60 years and older to protect themselves against RSV.
Please give us a call if you have any questions or if you would like to discuss what is best for your situation.
Gardasil is a vaccine administered to prevent the potentially serious outcomes of a viral infection with HPV (human papillomavirus). This virus can cause a range of problems, including genital warts and certain types of cancer. If you were not vaccinated in school, please call the pharmacy team to learn whether this vaccine is right for you.
Compounding pharmacists are trained to help meet the unique needs of individual patients through formulating personalized medications. At Medi-Drugs we are proud to provide custom medication and treatment plans for our patients with the goal of more effectively treating their medical condition(s). The following compounding resources are available at our pharmacy:
Flavouring
Capsules
Liquids
Hormones
Creams/ointments
Medication shortage solutions
Veterinary medicine
Nebulizers
Both of our Medi-Drugs locations carry different models of Pari nebulizers. Our two most popular models are the Pari Vios and Pari Trek-S, which we often carry in stock or can order at your request. Pari is known internationally as a reputable brand for inhalation-related medical devices.
Nebulizers are used to administer inhaled medications in a different way than classical inhalers do. The device helps convert specific liquid medications into an aerosol (mist) that makes it easier for people with reduced lung capacity to inhale their medication. These devices are most often used for people who suffer from respiratory conditions like COPD, asthma, or cystic fibrosis.
Pari Vios “Go Green”
Adult Nebulizer
PARI, Trek S with LC Sprint, Combination Pack, with battery
Personal Drug Testing
Medi-Drugs offers Personal Drug Testing at their Millcreek location only. Our trained staff or pharmacists will assist you with the collection procedure and testing.
We offer in-pharmacy 12-panel or single panel (THC only) urine testing. The sample must be collected in our private bathroom (without observation) and reviewed with you by trained staff. The urine test cannot be sold and completed at home.
Amphetamine
Fentanyl
Barbiturate
Methamphetamine
Benzodiazepine
Cocaine
MDMA/Ecstasy
Methadone
Opiates
Oxycodone
Phencyclidine (PCP, angel dust)
THC (there is also the option to complete a 1-panel THC test for a reduced cost)
Compliance/Blister Packaging
Medication adherence (taking your medication regularly) helps ensure that the therapy remains effective. This can reduce the risk of a prescribing/medication cascade, which may result when poor adherence is mistaken for medication ineffectiveness and more medications are prescribed to help resolve the concern.
To make it easier to remember which medications to take and when to take them, the team at Medi-Drugs can package your medication in convenient blister packages. This strategy helps reduce missed medications and also assists in the prevention of taking double doses.
Blister packs are prepared with a month’s supply of medication. All you have to do is call the pharmacy to request blister packaging and leave the rest to us! We will automatically prepare your medication before it is due and you can either come to pick it up or request to have it delivered to you at no additional cost.
To learn more about how Medi-Drugs is part of environmental sustainability and the types of materials we use for our packaging solutions click below
Medication Review & Care Planning
Medi-Drugs offers a Comprehensive Annual Care Plan (CACP) service (medication review) that helps the pharmacist better understand each patient’s personal goals and improve the care provided by their team. The interaction provides an excellent opportunity for the patient to get to know their health care providers and ask any and all questions that they may have about their health and wellness. Some areas of discussion may include:
- Medications
- Health Conditions
- Therapy Goals
- Medication Interactions
- Smoking Cessation
If you have been prescribed a number of different medications in the last six months, you may benefit from Medication Review Services. The aim of the service is to help each patient better understand their medications – from why you are taking them, when to take them, and how to best take them – you make informed decisions and have greater ownership of your overall health.
By working directly with you and your physician, as well as other members of your healthcare team, we will develop goals to help optimize your health.
For more information or to schedule a medication review, give us a call today or book an appointment for a medical review.
Food Sensitivity Testing
Do you suspect that you or a member of your family may be sensitive to a specific food product or ingredient? We can help you investigate potential food sensitivities with an IgG antibody food sensitivity test. These kits test for IgG-based reactions to over 100 herbs, foods and spices, including intolerances to gluten.
As with all of our kits, you’ll collect your sample at home and send it to our partner lab in pre-paid postage. Once your sample is tested, a member of our team will get in touch with you to discuss the results and answer your questions.
Hardcopy reports are also sent to the pharmacy and can be collected for personal record keeping or collaboration with other health care providers.
For more information regarding our food sensitivity testing, give us a call or book an appointment with one of our pharmacists.
Crutch Rentals
If you have sustained a leg injury of some kind and now require the use of crutches to get around, Medi-Drugs Pharmacy in Edmonton has a convenient, affordable solution for you. Rather than pay for expensive crutches at the hospital, we’ll rent you a set to use while you recover – just bring them back when you’re done.
