August 2018
   What's Happening this month:

August 15th -- Double Points Day

The MN State fair is almost upon us
Aug. 23 – Sept. 3, 2018
Don't forget your sunscreen, hand sanitizer & rain poncho's that we carry in the dollar section
( photo by Lakeland PBS)

Check out our new app! If you use a smartphone or tablet and would like another way to refill your prescriptions, then please download it today.
Summer is in full swing and for us that means our annual Business Conference/Trade Show and the huge Gift Show in Atlanta. We traveled to both this past month looking for new and unique products and services that we can bring to you. During August most of these new items will be arriving in our store. Here are a sampling of the new items you will see:
Nature's Truth vitamins

We are replacing Nature's Blend vitamins with Nature's Truth vitamins . Nature's Truth brings high quality Vitamins & Supplements and Herbal Supplements designed to fit your healthy lifestyle. These vitamins are always non-GMO and most of them are gluten free. The gluten free supplements are clearly marked on the front of the bottle. They guarantee your satisfaction 100% of the time--if you're not satisfied--you get your money back! We think that Nature's Truth will be a great addition to our Leader brand of vitamins and our premium line of Ortho Molecular vitamins. This vitamin line is coming soon!
GORP Energy Bars  

GORP Energy Bars are an all-natural protein bar, handmade on the Canadian Prairies of a family farm. These energy bars are packed full of whole, healthy ingredients without containing soy, dairy, whey or added gluten. GORP bars are also re-sealable – the only energy bar with this feature! We have in stock these flavors: Cocoa hemp & almond, peanut butter and raspberry, peanut butter and apple, and ginger snap and apple, and they retail for $2.99 per bar. We have sampled them all--our staff favorites are the peanut butter and raspberry and the cocoa hemp & almond. These bars also leave no funky after-taste! The Gorp Energy bars each contain 11 grams of plant based protein, so you can have a bar for lunch with a piece of fruit and not feel guilty while you are on the run!
iHear

iHear has introduced the TReO 3-in-1 Hearing Amplifier . The TReO amplifies sounds, clarifies speech and suppresses background noise. iHear also offers the first FDA cleared home hearing screener--the iHEAR Test. After using this test at home, you can order on-line a pre-programmed hearing aid from the iHear company. This pre-programmed hearing aid is more expensive than the TReO hearing amplifier that will be offered in our store for about $299 per ear. The TReO is coming soon!
Great New Gift Items

Kelsey, our gift buyer, traveled to Atlanta to the huge Gift Show and has many new product lines that she will be introducing over the next few months and into the holiday season.

Stay tuned to our website, newsletter and social media over the next few months for details of her new items. Facebook and Twitter are the best places to see the new gift items that she has brought into the store as Gunnar usually spotlights them as they come out. Kelsey and Gunnar share an office space, so Gunnar usually is the first to see the new products she brings in, and is always super excited to share them with all our friends on facebook!

If you haven't been in the store in the past week, one of the best new introductions in our gift department is the RainCaper!  This is a water repellant hooded rain poncho that has a great silky feel, and is fashionable too. The RainCaper is fully reversible (one side has a museum print on it, and the other side is plain). They are great for travel as they come with their own storable pouch and the cape can do double duty as a light wrap for chilly evenings since they are made of silky material and not plastic! They make for a wonderful multi-tasker clothing item for travel as they are reversible--it is like having 2 pieces of clothing in one. The storage pouch also makes the RainCaper great to throw in your work bag since you never know when a rain shower will pop up!
Flu, Pneumonia and Shingle Vaccinations


Fall always brings Flu Shot Season. This year we want to make you aware that we will be offering Influenza shots, as we have in the past; but, we will now also be offering Pneumonia and the new Shingle vaccinations also. We have increased the number of Pharmacists that are Certified to give vaccinations, so it should be easier for you to find a time when we can give you a shot.  

Currently, the new Shingles vaccine, Shingrix, is on national backorder. We have been told that we may start to see some vaccine shipping to pharmacies toward the end of August. We will keep you updated on both our website and on Facebook as to when the vaccine is available again. 

We expect to have the Flu vaccine in store by mid-September and we will begin offering shots at the end of September. In order to provide Influenza protection throughout the flu season, we suggest that you wait until October to get your flu shot and plan to definitely have it by the beginning of December. It takes about 2 weeks for your body to develop a full immunity to the flu virus after you have had the shot. So if you get the shot before December, you will be protected when everyone begins to gather for holiday functions. When you do get your flu shot--that would also be a good opportunity for you to get the pneumonia vaccine as well if you have not yet received yours, or if you are due to receive the vaccine. We can give you both shots at the same visit to save you a trip.  
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Expanded Point of Care Testing

We have been offering Point of Care Testing since the beginning of the year. We currently test for strep and flu. 

Mid-August, we are expanding that offering to be able to provide you with Blood Glucose and Cholesterol screening. 

These tests take about 5-10 minutes total time to perform. If you want to partake of the glucose and cholesterol screening, we recommend that you come in fasting (having eaten nothing for at least 9 hours before the test) to get the most accurate results. 

The cholesterol and blood glucose screenings are great if you have not had these tests before, or it has been a while since you were screened.  The cholesterol screening can also be valuable to people who are currently on cholesterol lowering drugs who want to see if the medication they are taking is working and lowering their cholesterol levels. The cholesterol screening will provide your overall cholesterol number, your HDL, LDL and triglyceride levels. 

Below is the cost for each of these screening tests. These tests are not covered by insurance. However, if you test positive for strep or the flu, we are able to get you an antibiotic or antiviral medication per a protocol we have with a physician and this medication would be covered on your insurance for your usual co-pay. 

* Strep test: $40
* Flu test: $50
* Blood Glucose screening: $20
* Cholesterol screening: $35
* Blood Glucose & Cholesterol screening: $50  
Storefront facelift - Finally !!!

Construction will begin the week of August 13th to update the facade of the store! We have been waiting for years for this facelift to happen, and now we are just a few weeks away from the start of the project. Both our store, and Carpet One, will get a facelift. We will be getting rid of the shakes on the canopy over the sidewalk which have been deteriorating for years. They will be replaced with a new metal canopy, and we will also be getting a new look to the rooftop landscape of both stores. We will have new brick and windows in the front of the store and a new sign and lighting! We are excited for this work to begin, but even more excited for the end product that will bring us into the 21st century! We will have some architect renderings of what the final project will look like in the store, so you can share in our enthusiasm for the project.

Of course, in order to get the great face lift, we will incur some dust and minor inconveniences outdoors in the front of the store. We are told that the project will take about 6 weeks to complete (that is both our store and the carpet store, so they won't always be working in front of our store). During that time, you may see plywood over our windows, some parking spaces may be blocked off, etc.   But don't despair--we will be open every day as usual during construction, and there will always be sidewalk access to our store.   You may find that it will be more convenient to park along the side of our building during the construction. However, if you do not want to be hassled by the construction, remember that we offer free delivery 7 days a week, and we will be happy to come to you during the construction if it is more convenient for you.

We will try to keep you updated on our website and on Facebook as to how the construction is going, so you can watch the progress from home if you can't make it in to the pharmacy to see us. We encourage you to come see us and watch the construction progress with us! (I am sure the construction workers won't mind a few more supervisors for the project!)
Upcoming Double Point Days:
(Be sure to mark your calendars)

Wednesday, August 15th
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. It's the best way to keep up to date on all the great things happening around the store like the main aisle makeover and the added apparel racks! If we are friends on Facebook would you please review us? A couple minutes of your time means the world to us! It's increasingly how new people find out about us.
 If you use a smartphone or tablet please check out our new app. It's another way to refill your prescriptions. Download it today!
                         
Thank you and we'll see you soon on facebook!

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Gift Gab

Summer clearance is going on now! Stop in and check out deep discounts throughout the gift dept. including apparel, purses, garden decor and more! It's a great time to think about picking up holiday gifts at discounted prices! See you soon!