Pharmacists are often referred to as the most accessible healthcare provider. This is because many people think of Community Pharmacists that often work in a retail setting. The hours of retail and the ability to walk up to the counter and to quickly get a consultation with a Pharmacist is how this increased accessibility is achieved.
Pharmacists have their Doctor of Pharmacy degree and are extremely knowledgeable in how medications work. They know medicine. They know how the medicine works and typical side effects and in addition to medication, they can also help with ideas and thoughts to successfully manage your personal disease state and health. Pharmacists can help you navigate the complex health care system.
As a Pharmacist I am passionate about being a patient advocate.
I am a Clinical Pharmacist which means I am located within a Doctors office. I help patients and Doctors optimize medication therapy. I help patients prioritize their health and navigate the many intricate pieces that will be needed to successfully manage their individual disease state.
I love empowering patients and family to become their own advocate and helping them to find their voice.
By learning how to ask questions and talk with your Doctor, you become part of the team and help to implement what we call shared decision making.
One day after having a long discussion with my sister (who is also a Pharmacist), I decided to start this Blog. Let me tell you why...
My sister was recently diagnosed with Breast Cancer. As you can imagine there was an initial fear and sadness but then came the planning. After a long conversation with my sister, who knows healthcare, she was expressing her frustrations. Her frustrations were founded!
She was thrust into a world of multiple appointments with multiple members of her healthcare team. She was scheduled with an Oncologist, a Surgeon Oncologist, a Nurse Coordinator, a Dietician and a Social Worker. Appointments were made without consulting with her. Appointments were over lapped and double booked. She was getting conflicting information from all members on her team causing confusion. She was trying to navigate and stay afloat in this new world of chaos.
After I got off the phone I had this mixture of emotions and feelings. This feeling of being grateful for my medical knowledge and background yet so frustrated that this system is too complex for our patients to navigate. This team is supposed to help our patients not make things more difficult. I was struck with the thought, how can I help?
I thought about how I help patients locally on a daily basis and my thought was I want to help more patients broadly. I decided to take it to a more global effort and starting with this Blog became my first step.
**Please take note, my views are my own and are not associated or representative of my employer(s). This website and its associated platforms are for education purposes only and not medical advice. (If one wants to establish a relationship in which individual circumstances can be evaluated please send a message)
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