Crystal Pharmacy 麗晶藥房

01/12/2026

Taking Medication Correctly

As we welcome 2026, let's make "taking medication correctly" our New Year's resolution. Taking medication correctly is actually an investment in and protection of your health. Here are a few points to share:

Taking medication is not shameful.
Many clients feel ashamed of needing to take medication and secretly skip their doctor's prescriptions. I always like to remind clients that they should be grateful there is medication available to treat or control their condition. For example, a blood test indicates high cholesterol and the doctor decides cholesterol medication needs to be started. Often at the pharmacy counter, with the prescription in hand, the client will ask, "I don’t want to start taking this medication, can I?" Of course you can, but the consequence is that cholesterol will continue to rise, potentially leading to stroke and heart disease. Taking cholesterol medication as directed can help prevent stroke and heart disease, prolonging health and enhancing the quality of life for you and your family.

Take medication as directed.
Some medications for chronic diseases require long-term use to achieve a stable condition, such as blood pressure medication and cholesterol-lowering medication. Some clients like to adjust medication doses on their own. For example, reducing their blood pressure medication dosage on their own whenever blood pressure is normal upon checking, unaware that their blood pressure will slowly rise again after two to three weeks. When blood pressure is back up, then briefly increase back to the doctor's prescribed dosage, reducing the dosage again once blood pressure returns to normal. Fluctuating dosages like this will never achieve the intention of blood pressure medication to stabilize blood pressure.

Do not cut medication in half without consulting a pharmacist
If you are taking long-acting or enteric-coated tablets, do not cut them in half without consulting a pharmacist. Long-acting tablets have a special design on their coating. Upon swallowing, a fixed amount of medication will be released every hour in the stomach/intestinal system. Cutting them in half causes damage to this design, resulting in the entire dose within the tablet to be released within one to two hours, causing a surge of an excessively high dosage (the same applies to medicated patches) which may lead to toxicity. Certain medications can be destroyed under acidic medium; hence enteric coatings ensure that the tablet is dissolved and released only upon reaching the intestine, not in the stomach. Cutting the tablet in half will cause it to be destroyed by stomach acid.

Choose the right time to take medication.
If you need to take multiple medications, consult with your pharmacist to choose a, appropriate time when you are less likely to forget and to avoid drug interactions.

Next time you pick up your medication, consult your pharmacist to check if your medication habits and methods are correct.

01/12/2026

正確服藥

當我們迎接2026年來臨， 不妨把『正確服藥』作為新一年的願望. 『正確服藥』其實是對自己健康的投資及保障. 筆者與大家分享以下幾點:

服藥不是一件丟臉的事
很多客人總是覺得需要服藥很丟臉, 偷偷不服醫生開的藥. 筆者總會提醒客人, 應該慶幸有藥可服用來治療或控制病情, 好比驗血報告顯示膽固醇高, 醫生開了處方, 來到藥房櫃檯前問”我可不可以不服藥?” 當然可以, 不過後果是膽固醇繼續升高然後引發中風及心臟病. 藥物可幫助預防中風及心臟病, 能延續健康及與家人兒孫的生活質素,

依指示服藥
部分慢性病的藥需長期服用才會達到穩定病情的效果， 如血壓藥， 降膽固醇藥等。 發現血壓正常便自我減服血壓藥劑量， 卻不知兩至三星期後血壓慢慢回升。當發現血壓變高時短暫服回醫生處方的劑量， 血壓正常後又馬上減劑量，劑量忽高忽低，結果是根本達不到穩定血壓的目的。

不要隨便把藥切開一半
如你正在服用長效配方(long-acting, extended-release, slow-release)， 腸溶配方藥片(enteric coated), 不要隨便把藥切開一半。長效配方藥片的外殼有特別設計，吞服後藥片在腸胃內每小時會釋放一定的藥量，切開一半後等於破壞這特別設計，整片藥的劑量便會於一至兩小時內全數釋放，令劑量變得過高（藥貼也是同一道理）。有些藥物會被胃酸破壞，腸溶配方確保藥片在到達胃部時才會被融化釋放。 切開一半後藥物便會被胃酸破壞。

選定服藥的時間
如需要服用多種藥物， 不妨與藥劑師商量選定令自己不會容易忘記而不會有藥物相沖的服藥時。

下次取藥時不妨請教藥劑師, 諮詢一下自己服藥的觀念及方法是否正確

12/25/2025

Don’t forget to spend time with our seniors

While we are all busy preparing for holidays, let’s not forget about our seniors. Holidays are especially emotionally stressful for seniors who live alone, especially those who lost their spouses. Decreased mobility due to health deterioration can lead to social isolation that are silent challenges for older adults, often leading to health issues like depression and cognitive decline.

If you have seniors in your family and you don’t live together, visit them on a regular basis, not just during holidays. If you live far away from your senior family members, call them on a regular basis. A simple daily one minute phone call (or a visit) can often already offer the emotional support and mental stimulation that keeps their world bright and their hearts lighter.

Regular check-ins remind seniors that they are valued and remembered, not left behind or forgotten. Engaging seniors in chats, sharing stories, or even learning new things together helps keep their minds active and sharp.

Don't wait until it's too late. Don’t just spend time with them only during holidays. The time we have with our parents is a blessing. Let's give back the love they once gave us without limit, making their days brighter and their hearts lighter while we still can.

12/25/2025

別忘了多花時間陪伴長輩

當我們都在忙著準備節慶的時候，別忘了家裡的長輩。對於獨居老人來說，節日尤其會帶來巨大的情感壓力，尤其是那些失去伴侶的老人。健康狀況的退化導致行動不便，進而造成社交孤立，對老年人來說是難以察覺的挑戰，往往會導致憂鬱和認知能力下降等健康問題。

如果您家中有長輩，但沒有住在一起，請定期探望他們，而不僅僅是在假日。如果您與長輩住得不近，可定期打電話問候他們。很多時候每天只需一分鐘的電話（或一次探訪）就能提供情緒上的支持和心靈上的慰藉，讓他們的生活充滿陽光，心情愉悅。

定期問候或探望能讓長輩感受到他們的價值和被惦記，而不是被遺忘或拋棄。與長輩聊天、分享故事，甚至一起學習新事物，都能幫助他們保持思維活躍和敏銳。

不要等到為時已晚。不要只在假期才陪伴他們。有機會能與父母共度時光時一種恩典。讓我們把他們曾經無私給我們的愛回饋給他們，趁我們還能做到的時候，讓他們的生活更美好，讓他們的心情更輕鬆。

12/19/2025

11/19/2025

細心，專業，詳盡
蕭宏毅藥劑師(台灣):
從藥劑師角度為你提供最科學性的維他命及保健品資訊

11/07/2025

We will be closing on Nov 11th, Tuesday, Remembrance Day. Sorry for the inconvenience
我們會於11月11日, 星期二, 陣亡將士紀念日休息. 不便之處, 敬請原諒

10/15/2025

2025-2026 Flu/COVID-19 vaccination information

2025-2026 Flu/Covid vaccination season is now open for booking, earliest start day at Crystal Pharmacy is on Oct 16th

There are 4 types of government-funded flu vaccines this year: Fluad, Fluzone, Fluviral, and Flumist. Fluad contains an adjunct that enhances the vaccine's effectiveness in creating antibodies, and is reserved ONLY for those aged 65 and older. Fluzone and Fluviral are available to children aged 6 months to 65 years and older (note: the pharmacy can only provide vaccination to children 4 years and above). Flumist is the only flu vaccine in nasal spray format and is reserved only for children with a severe anxiety against injections. After vaccination, it usually takes two weeks for the flu vaccine to take effect and its effect lasts for around six to eight months.

This season's COVID-19 vaccines (Comirnaty by Pfizer, Spikevax by Moderna) is different from last year's. This year's formulation targets the new variant LP8. Like the flu vaccine, it takes two weeks to take effect and its effect lasts for around six months.

Both the flu and COVID-19 vaccines are very safe, and can be injected simultaneously at the same appointment.

Thank you for your support, every year Crystal Pharmacy experiences several times higher volume of phone calls/walk-in inquiries during the October-November vaccination season. To avoid overcrowding, we recommend:
- Unless it's necessary, let seniors and those with special health needs book appointments during the first 2 weeks of vaccination campaign (Oct 16 to Oct 24)
- If you call us but cannot get through, please try to call us at a later time. Or if no one answers, please leave us a message
- Please note community pharmacies can only provide free vaccinations to British Columbians. Non-BC residents can find a pharmacy that offers self-pay vaccines or contact their local municipal health units.
- The easiest way to book appointment with us is to go to the provincial government website. https://www.getvaccinated.gov.bc.ca or call the hotline at 18338382323. Of course, you can call us at 604433282
- As per BC Health Ministry, all Flu/Covid vaccination data must be registered on a provincial data base. Hence, please do not book your flu/COVID-19 vaccine appointments through the our Crystal Pharmacy website

10/15/2025

2025-2026 流感/新冠肺炎疫苗資訊

2025-2026 流感/新冠疫苗接種季現已開放預約，麗晶藥房最早開始接種日期為 10 月 16 日。

今年政府資助的流感疫苗有四種：Fluad、Fluzone、Fluviral 和 Flumist。 Fluad 含有一種增強疫苗產生抗體效果的輔助劑，僅供 65 歲及以上人士使用。 Fluzone 和 Fluviral 適用於 6 個月至 65 歲及以上的兒童（注意：社區藥房只可為 4 歲及以上兒童提供疫苗接種）。 Flumist 是唯一一種鼻噴劑形式的流感疫苗，僅供對注射有嚴重焦慮的兒童使用。接種疫苗後，流感疫苗通常需要兩週才能生效，效果持續約六至八個月。

本季的新冠疫苗（輝瑞的 Comirnaty 和 Moderna 的 Spikevax）與去年不同。今年的疫苗針對的是新型變異株LP8。與流感疫苗一樣，疫苗起效時間為兩週，有效期約六個月。

流感疫苗和新冠疫苗都非常安全，可以在同一預約時間同時注射。

感謝支持，每年10月至11月的疫苗接種季節，麗晶藥房的電話/上門查詢流量都會增加數倍。為免人滿為患，我們建議：
- 除非必要，先讓長者和有特殊健康需求人士在疫苗接種活動的前兩週（10月16日至24日）預約接種。
- 如果致電我們但無法接通，請嘗試稍後再致電。如果無人接聽，請給​​我們留言。
- 請注意，社區藥局只能為BC省居民提供免費疫苗接種。非BC省居民若想接種流感/新冠疫苗, 需自行尋找有提供自費疫苗接種的藥房，或聯絡當地市政衛生部門。
- 預約接種最簡單的方法是登入BC省政府網站 https://www.getvaccinated.gov.bc.ca 或致電該網站熱線 18338382323。當然，致電我們 604433282 預約也可以
- 根據卑詩省衛生部的規定，所有流感/新冠疫苗接種資料都必須在省級資料庫中註冊。因此，請勿透過我們 Crystal Pharmacy 網站預約接種流感/新冠疫苗。

09/29/2025

We will be closing on September 30th (Tuesday) for Reconciliation Day. Sorry for the inconvenience.
我們會於9月30日(星期二)Reconciliation Day休息. 不便之處, 敬請原諒