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Have an Affair With Your Pharmacist

 
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Alright .....maybe not an affair but definitely have a relationship with him/her. I know that a lot of people feel it's important to have a good relationship with their doctor but what about your pharmacist?

Do you always go to the same pharmacy? Do you think your pharmacist knows who you are? Why should you have a relationship with that pharmacist?

Years ago I dated a pharmacist, he was a brilliant guy but not much on relationships... I sure hope that he was better with his patients than he was with relating to me.

I am naturally the kind of person that desires to have a relationship with whoever I do business with; my bankers, my hairdresser, my dentist. I like to be a "Norm" (remember the guy from Cheers) where ever I am. It only recently occurred to me that not everyone sees the value in forming a relationship with their pharmacist. Let me tell you why I think you should and why my own pharmacist thinks you should.

Better service and better health: I have always received recommendations from my pharmacist for OTC and prescription drugs. Your doctor knows about symptoms and ailments but it's the pharmacist who knows about the drugs. Think about it, why would you ask the doctor a lot of questions about a drug when it's the pharmacist who specializes in it? Many times when I have suspected that I had a symptom , I would go ask my pharmacist about it and ask what they recommended, that way, I could take control over what sort of drug I might need.

I asked my pharmacist, Dr. Troy Albright, what sort of relationship he thinks patients should have with their pharmacist and he believes it's important to have a triad relationship. The patient at the top of the triangle and then the bottom points are the pharmacist and the doctor. All 3 should be working together to create a plan for health for the patient. He also feels that if your pharmacist or doctor are not available for a relationship that perhaps there is someone who could better serve you. That thought reminded me of a time about 15 years ago when I was doctor shopping. I got a recommendation from my OB/GYN for an internal doc. I called the office and asked if I could speak to the doctor directly. He wasn't available at that moment but he called me back within the hour. That was the sort of doctor I wanted to have a relationship with.

Another reason that Dr. Albright believes that we should have a relationship with our pharmacist (and I agree) is that all prescribed drugs have different side affects and each person will react differently with them. If you have a relationship with your pharmacist, they might be able to predict a little about how you will react and could possibly steer you in the right direction along with your doctor.

I have been in a relationship with Dr. Albright for a while now and I feel I can talk about anything with him. I feel comfortable with any subject. I get more of his time than I do my doctor sometimes. I feel that he is always looking for ways to improve his methods, the quality of his product and has a passion for peoples health. I am confident that he compounds quality products for each of his patients.

For those of you who are not familiar with a compounding pharmacy, which is where I go, he said that a traditional pharmacy dispenses drugs that are made elsewhere and are shipped to the pharmacy, a compounding pharmacy compounds the drugs on site and can formulate them for each individual. Some compounds are regularly dispensed prescriptions and can be pre-made on site and are ready on demand.

Which ever pharmacy you go to, be sure to form a relationship with that pharmacist so you can have that one extra person watching out for your health. If you have to go to one that is a little more expensive then go there. When you think about it what is your health worth? I go outside my insurance coverage to get bioidentical hormones because I know that Dr. Albright carefully compounds exactly what I need.

The next time you need a prescription filled or something specifically formulated, think about the relationship you have and how much or little your pharmacist is interested in you.

Dr. Troy Albright is the owner of RX Formulations in Mesa Arizona. http://www.rxformulations.com/

Add a Comment2 Comments

Of course it's ideal if people start their lives out with all organic and natural treatments but the reality is that as children we don't have control of that. If we don't know then we don't follow a natural life. For those of us who have discovered the need later in life, a pharmacy is necessary.

After years of listening to western medicine, my body became a wreck; that in tandem with poor diet and lifestyle. Once I made the decision to get everything sorted out and back in balance I had to find a pharmacy and naturopath who could get me back on the road to health. Dr. Albright has been my health mentor and has compounded bioidentical hormones and has also put me on a series of supplements that will bring balance back to my body.

For most women there is no getting away from those yearly exams with an OB/GYN. I wrote a previous article about helping your doctor understand natural health. https://www.empowher.com/news/herarticle/2009/06/10/can-you-help-your-doctor

There also comes a time when you need antibiotics on occasion ...life for an abscessed tooth so I still find the need to be friends with my pharmacy although I have worked hard to wean my family off of any meds and have done so successfully with the help of Dr. Albright.

August 30, 2009 - 10:14am
EmpowHER Guest
Anonymous

The fact of the problem here is that there aren't any medications that get people healthy in the first place. The real relationship that one should have is the one with an alternative wellness Doctor, Do,Dc, Naturopath, Homeopathy, Chiropractor and so on. One might just incorporate a few of these together at that. True health doesn't start with medication, though medication does have it's place and time, but not when it comes to real health. At the end of the day, the white coats both Pharmacists and Md's can help you best when your truly in an emergency with life or death not your health. All medications are toxic at some level or another and all have there side effects as well, some might say I would rather keep what I have rather then the the side effect that come along with the meds. I will always say there is a place and time for the meds. , but I have been in practice long enough doing all that I do with my patients to be able to tell the difference from what God has put on this earth naturally like herbs, plant extracts, Organic Whole Food Supplements, Homeopathy and Naturopathic Protocols and what they do for patients. I will leave you with this quote: When People Can Change the Way They Look at Things, The Things They Look at Will Start to Change! If people want to see health get back to the way it use to be the old fashion way, let's all work on the change for the better. Thank you for allowing me to comment. Love Ya~!

Dr.Scott
www.drspines.com

August 29, 2009 - 7:04pm
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We value and respect our HERWriters' experiences, but everyone is different. Many of our writers are speaking from personal experience, and what's worked for them may not work for you. Their articles are not a substitute for medical advice, although we hope you can gain knowledge from their insight.

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