macy’s

I don’t shop at macy’s anymore. Haven’t for 20 years. I used to. They always had a lot of product and great clearance pricing. But there were just too many choices, too much product. Just walking through the door made me feel overwhelmed to the point of fatigue…decision fatigue.

And I don’t have to shop at macy’s. There are so many other options. Sometimes I prefer Target; they always have stylish finds at low price points. I like the Gap companies because they have options at various price points to suit my entire family (including two young boys known for ceaslessly blowing out the knees of their pants). More recently I’ve started shopping on-line consignment stores like PoshMark and Mercari for the ease of narrowing search results to my size and style as well as the deals. Plus they get bonus points for their role in reducing retail waste.

I think of my experience shopping at macy’s whenever I walk into the local pharmacy. The sheer volume of over-the-counter (OTC) products is enough to overwhelm even a seasoned pharmacist. Anyone without healthcare background is sure to feel like they’ve been dropped into the middle of a labyrinth. And, while many others occupy the labyrinth, they really can’t help anyone find their way through. The pharmacist, just feet away behind the counter, is so inundated with filling prescriptions and, now, giving immunizations, that they are effectively unavailable. The customer who walked in with eye allergies, looking for a fever reducer for their toddler, for a cough medicine so they can sleep through the night, they are all but on their own.

My goal is to fill that void, to provide reliable content to those seeking it, to support self-healthcare. No matter the time of day or day of week, access to a healthcare provider or lack thereof, the information shared here is available. I’ll lessen the fatigue of decision-making when it comes to self-healthcare and provide tips to navigate the OTC labyrinth.