Posture & Purpose With Dr. Michelle Carr Frank
Welcome to Posture and Purpose where both healing and community come together! An inside look into Carr Chiropractic and Dr. Michelle Carr Frank.
Posture & Purpose With Dr. Michelle Carr Frank
From Dispensing To Delivering Care In Modern Pharmacy
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Most people see a line, a counter, and a bag—but pharmacy care is so much more. We invited pharmacist Ebony Brown to share a clear, inside look at how modern community pharmacies protect patients, prevent errors, and deliver real clinical value far beyond dispensing pills. It’s a candid, practical conversation that turns confusion into confidence.
We trace Ebony’s path into pharmacy and the surprises that meet many new clinicians: nonstop multitasking, legal guardrails, and the responsibility to catch therapy problems before they reach the patient. She breaks down the shift toward vaccination programs and medication therapy management, plus simple habits that dramatically reduce risk—like focusing on drug name, strength, and directions each time you pick up a refill. We tackle duplicate medications from multiple prescribers, why supplements and herbs must be disclosed, and how pharmacists collaborate with physicians to resolve dosing and safety questions.
Ebony also debunks vaccine myths with straightforward science about timing and immune response, then dives into GLP-1 medicines changing diabetes, weight, and cardiovascular care. Expect a balanced take: benefits, side effects, and how to protect lean muscle with strength training and better nutrition. We unpack brand versus generic, when excipients matter, and why tight therapeutic windows like thyroid therapy can demand consistency. For seniors and caregivers, you’ll hear actionable tips on pill packs, refill syncing, and reducing pharmacy trips. Throughout, Ebony humanizes the unseen work—navigating laws, insurance, and access barriers—so patients get the right medicine, safely.
If you want safer medications, fewer headaches, and a better partnership with your pharmacist, this conversation is your playbook. Listen, share with someone who manages medications, and leave a review so others can find the show. Subscribe on Apple, Spotify, or YouTube and tell us the one pharmacy question you want answered next.
Meet Ebony Brown, Pharmacist And Friend
SPEAKER_01So you think when you become a healthcare professional that your biggest task is going to be caring for the patients. But when you work pharmacy, there's so many other things, small things you have to do. Um, you have to manage people. Even if you're not a manager, you're the leader in the pharmacy.
SPEAKER_00Welcome to Posture and Purpose, where both healing and community come together. Make sure to subscribe on Apple, Spotify, and YouTube. Let's get into this episode with Dr. Michelle Car Frank.
SPEAKER_02Hello and welcome to this episode of Posture and Purpose. Today I have Miss Ebony Brown, who is a pharmacist here in Lafayette, Louisiana, but she's also a patient of mine, and I can also call her a friend. So I'm very, very happy to have her here today. So thank you for being here. Thank you for having me. I always like to know what is what is your why behind coming becoming a pharmacist?
SPEAKER_01Um, my why has always been to help people. So when I was a little kid, you know, you go through different ideas of what you want to be when you grow up. Um, of course, you know your family's going to have an influence. So I was the straight A kid. So they always told me you need to be a doctor or a nurse or whatever. And I, you know, I lent, you know, I I leaned into that. Um, I thought about becoming a nurse. At one point I went to be a dentist, a podiatrist, and then I realized I'm gonna have to go to the ER and do those things, and I didn't want to be too hands-on. Right, that's not for everyone. So I said, what could I do that's adjacent to that? I still get to help people, and so that's why I chose pharmacy. I just knew I had to do something that was going to be helping people, so that's how I ended up there.
SPEAKER_02Did you have a certain mentor or any inspiration, something that really happened that shifted your path?
SPEAKER_01I no, I did not know any pharmacist. Really? I did not know I like I said, I thought about being a dentist. I had my dentist was willing to let me shadow him. I just had nobody in my life that was a pharmacist, and I just said, hey, let me try this. And thankfully, when I started like, you know, my courses in college, it it it was okay. Like it didn't just change my mind. I stuck with it, but no, I didn't have anybody. This was just really one of those things I chose and hoped for the best. Yeah.
SPEAKER_02And it worked out a certain calling and a leap. Leap of faith. Yep, that's what it was. So when you began practicing, um, what was the biggest surprise that you noticed?
SPEAKER_01Um, so the biggest surprise is what goes on in a pharmacy. I'm just like anybody else. I didn't really work in a pharmacy until pharmacy school. And so I didn't know, you know, what went on behind the counter. I didn't know why things took long sometimes. I didn't know how much multitasking would be required. So you think when you become a healthcare professional that your your biggest task is going to be caring for the patients. But when you work pharmacy, there's so many other things, small things you have to do. Um, you have to manage people. Even if you're not a manager, you're the leader in the pharmacy. Because you're the one on duty, you're the pharmacist on duty. Every prescription that goes through that pharmacy has to go through you. Yes. So I just didn't realize how much they did. And um, it's a lot. But you know, I've gotten used to it now.
SPEAKER_02And how long have you been a pharmacist? Can you tell us a little bit about your background where you went to school?
SPEAKER_01Yeah, so I've been practicing for nine and a half years. I went to ULUL for two years for pre-pharmacy, and then I transferred to ULM, University of Louisiana, Monroe. Um, I finished up my pre-works there and I went to pharmacy school there. And I graduated in 2016, and I've been practicing ever since.
SPEAKER_02And here you are. So what um what has really changed um since you've been practicing?
Pharmacy’s Shift To Clinical Care
SPEAKER_01Um the the clinical part. So that was always changing. Even when I was in school, we knew pharmacists would do a lot more clinical things. So um back in the day, it was just dispensing medications, um, which is still a big part of it. But pharmacists are much more um clinical now. So not only do we fill your prescriptions, but we do what's called medication therapy management. We'll reach out to patients, make sure everything's going okay with their meds, we'll review their meds with them. Um and also there's a there was a big push for vaccinations, right? I guess, you know, a a short time before I became a pharmacist, it became very popular. And I would venture to say that pharmacies probably vaccinate more than any other, you know, entity now in America. Pharmacies are huge um, you know, vaccine hubs, uh, which we saw especially with the pandemic. Sure. Um, most patients were getting their vaccines at your your local retail pharmacies. We were even going to nursing homes and everything like that and doing it. So pharmacy is it's almost predominantly non-dispensing now. Um part of that is just, well, most of that is because dispensing is no longer what um what makes the money anymore.
SPEAKER_02Oh, okay. So uh yes, that has definitely changed. Yeah, because I think um, at least I can remember, um, you know, we had a friendly neighborhood pharmacist. You went and got your prescription filled there, they knew your name, you know. Uh again, I'm from a small town, but for the most part, it was a different experience than it is now. Now it seems like uh a machine. There's a lot of things going on behind that counter, like you said. What common uh medication mistakes do you think people make, being that it's just such a hustle and bustle and you know, such a different experience? Do you think there are mistakes being made by patients or um customers?
SPEAKER_01Um yes, to everything. So um there's that the reason we're there is to protect the patient. So um our job is to catch the mistakes. The problem with that is we're human, and sometimes um it's a very high stress, high, high, fast-paced work environment. But I would say the most common um errors I see are duplications of therapy, and that just goes to people seeing different doctors. So sometimes we're getting a blood pressure medication from our primary care, and then we're seeing a cardiologist. So they wrote about blood pressure medication, or same thing for like cholesterol medication. And so when it comes to the pharmacist, a lot of the times um we're the last stop before the patient gets the medication. So we're responsible for first, we'll ask the patient. Sometimes they're very well aware of what's going on, sometimes they don't. And so we have to reach out to the providers to see what the patient's supposed to be on. So I think that's my biggest one I see is duplications of therapy. Um, just because you know, people have to see different providers for different things, and sometimes they just don't communicate yet.
SPEAKER_02Right, and the patient themselves isn't aware. They just, it's a lot about trust. They told me to take this so I'm here, give it to me, I'm gonna feel better. Exactly. Not always the case. You really need to be an advocate for your own health care and uh, you know, pharmaceuticals as you should need. So, uh what about understanding labels? I really wanted to talk to you about this. You know, we always get the sheets that come with prescriptions that uh detail all either the side effects or how to take the medication. How should every person is there something simple you could teach us about reading labels and what it means?
SPEAKER_01Um, is in regards to just what the medication is or like side effects? Um it's there's only a few things you need to really read on that label. And I always tell people if you're going to read the monograph or the patient information, you never take anything. Because they have to list everything that happens. A lot of times in these in these studies, for example, I always tell people there's a um there's a medication that people take for um a black like a UTI, and it turns your urine brown. But then there's an antibiotic that people also take for a UTI, and it's listed that it'll turn your urine brown too. But if you think about it, most people who are have a UTI will be on both. So you can't really say what caused what. You can say you can't really find the causation there all the time.
SPEAKER_03Yeah.
Common Medication Errors And Duplicates
SPEAKER_01So um we always always tell people read your drug, your strength, what milligram you're on, and your directions. That changes sometimes. Um, it's important to notice if it changes because sometimes it's not intentional. Um, but that's it. Your drug, your strength, your directions. Is it the same thing you had last time? Has something changed? And don't feel afraid to ask us because patients have caught their you know mistakes before anybody else. So well, and that's good to know.
SPEAKER_02Just be very vigilant as to what you're taking and um reading those labels. How important is it to you to tell uh or to our listeners to tell their pharmacist about other supplements, vitamins or herbs that they may be taking? How do those interactions play a part? And how would you know if they don't tell you about those interactions? I mean, it's it's so prevalent today. A lot of people say, okay, well, I'm taking this vitamin or this supplement, or herbs and things like that. How do you how do you avoid that?
SPEAKER_01Is there any uh system set up to do so? No, there's no system, we have no way of knowing what a patient is taking outside of the prescriptions we have. Sometimes we can see other prescriptions just because we're getting claim rejections from the insurance, but otherwise we have no idea. And so, you like you said, you have to advocate for yourself, share the information. We have no way of knowing, and we we don't have the time honestly to go and ask everybody, hey, are you taking this, this, and this, and this and home? We just don't. So it's always good to say, Hey, look, I started this new vitamin or I got this, I saw, I seen on TV, something like that. It happens, and sometimes it's it's things we just don't see all the time. But your pharmacist can always just take your prescriptions, run an interaction check with any supplements, um vitamins, anything like that to make sure everything's okay because there are lots of herbs and supplements that interact with prescriptions.
SPEAKER_02I was gonna ask you, which one do you have seen or which one is most prevalent with the contraindications?
SPEAKER_01Um, we used to see a lot of is it St. John's ward? Um, it would interact with cholesterol medications, which so many people are on. I don't see too many people taking that anymore. I think maybe it's one of those things where they just, you know, sometimes things just blow up, they become really popular, and then they fizzle out. But yeah, anytime you want to um you want to know if your drug or your vitamin interacts with your medication, just ask your pharmacy. Communicate. That's it.
SPEAKER_02Communicate. And what are the red flags to you that someone may be taking their medication incorrectly? Do you have people that come and try to refill, refill, refill, especially with you know, pain medication and things like that? Yeah. What have you seen happen with that? Are there any things you can tell us about those experiences?
How To Read Your Prescription Label
SPEAKER_01Yeah, so I mean, honestly, um, sometimes being a pharmacist feels like being a bad guy. Um, but we have to remember that at the end of the day, we have to protect you. Sometimes that means protecting you from yourself. Yes. So, um, like you said, requesting refills. Um, sometimes, honestly, we're gonna, you know, you can expect that if it's a drug that is habit forming or people can misuse, then we'll have those situations where they'll ask to refill it early, consistently. It's not just like I'm going on vacation, but every month it's four or five days early. So that's one thing. But that's expected. What I get often is um patients re trying to refill medications early for regulaments, like their blood pressure or something. And so that's a red flag for me because I'm thinking to myself, why are you on day 30 and you've used 90 pills? So a lot of times the doctor has told them at home to change how they take it. But that doesn't always get sent to the pharmacy to communicate that to us. So we'll they'll tell me I'm out. And I'm thinking you need, yeah, four to five days left. So the first thing I say is, Are you still taking it the way it's written is are you still doing one a day? You know, just kind of asking probing questions, and they'll say, Oh no, my doctor told me to take two because my blood pressure was running high. So I'll say, Well, the doctor didn't tell me that. Nobody told us. Right. And it's easy fix, we get a new prescription, but that's the biggest red flag is the the pattern with which they're refilling their medication. Sometimes the insurance is gonna block it, sometimes we just we get notifications in our system. You just learn um there are certain medications that are changed often, or it could be some like medications for neuropathy like gabapensin, the dose is changed often. Um, and we'll have to, you know, inquire. Hey, did they tell you to take another one? Or, you know, because sometimes they do, and we just don't get the communication. There's always a little, you know, there's gaps.
SPEAKER_02There's room for improvement, right? And what are some of the medication myths that you wish you could clear up right now?
SPEAKER_01What is the one big myth out there? Um, well, it's not about a medication. Well, it is a medication, but it's about vaccines. Oh. So we still have a very, very um big myth that vaccines make you sick or they give you the they give you the virus that we're trying to protect us from.
SPEAKER_02Oh yes, please tell talk to us in detail about it. Yes.
SPEAKER_01So for example, we have people um who will not get a flu shot because they feel sick every time they get a flu shot. And I always tell people, if for some reason you got your flu shot and then you got the flu, that just means you were gonna get the flu anyway. So the part the important thing to know is that when you get a vaccine, most vaccines take two weeks to work to build up the antibodies um and to build up your immune response. And then so if I get my flu vaccine on Wednesday and I got the flu on Friday, I just was exposed to the flu. And a lot of times people come in to get their shot when they think they're gonna be around people who are sick, but it it doesn't work like that. You have to do it, you know, with enough time to build up a response.
SPEAKER_02Right.
Supplements, Interactions, And Transparency
SPEAKER_01So I always tell people the the vaccine, most vaccines are inactive, right? And so let's say I'm the flu and I'm wearing this jacket, your vaccine just has probably like a little piece of the jacket in there, so that every time it sees that gray jacket, it's going to know, okay, that's the flu I need to rev up, you know. Right. So that's all it is. And so it it it's one of the biggest ways to prevent um really serious diseases. And so I just want people to know um it's it's safe, there's data out there. People don't get these diseases anymore, they don't get polio, they don't get smallpox, things like that because they work. And they're not now they can make you feel bad. Um but that means your body's mounting a response to what it's seeing. And so the next time you see it in the real time, in the real world, hopefully it'll have what it needs to fight it. So very controversial.
SPEAKER_02I mean, it is some people um have either had bad experiences or they've done research or something may have happened to, you know, someone they know. Um so it's a very personal It is it really is, it's a very personal decision to make for you and your family. Um, and people basically just need to do their research and and make that decision um and how that would play out for the future of your family as well. Exactly, exactly. So are there any new pharmaceutical therapies or innovations that are on the horizon?
SPEAKER_01Um there's lots always. Um I think the most striking one has been um the GLP ones, so Euros damp, truly. So they're here, but they are finding that there are so many more um benefits to these medications. Um so they started out as medications to help people lower their blood sugar for diabetes. Diabetes, right? Then they realized that they are helping people lose weight. Then they realize they're helping people with cardiovascular events. Um, there's even some research that shows that it helps with um habits and breaking habits or um things like that. So I would say watch out for that. These drugs are, I mean, they've changed the landscape of pharmacy really. They've changed um the the protocols, the guidelines to treating some of these conditions because they've done so much. We still need to see in the long term how it affects the patient.
SPEAKER_02That's when we'll know.
SPEAKER_01That's when we'll know. And um, but it does a lot for people. Um, but I mean all of them have side effects and concerns. So it's just interesting to see. We're gonna really be watching those going forward. They're like the the the big cool. That's all you see on TV that's all in these commercials.
SPEAKER_02It's first was Ozempic, and that was the one that treated diabetes. And now there are different trazepatites, all these different levels, and they each come with their own issues, but um they're modifying as we go in a very short period of time. When I say as we go, I mean within a few years, these have changed drastically. And in turn, we're gonna see drastic changes um uh in their reactions to different people with their health care. So, yes, that's ever changing. But ever changing. But like you said, uh from your perspective, you must have seen such a difference. Yeah.
SPEAKER_01Uh from we used we started off with Victosa. Well, it it it started off with there's some old ones like Bacterion, Victosa. Okay, yeah. Victosa was one that you had to take every day, and so now you have the ones where you just take it once a week. Um, and you have ones that are just there's even one that's indicated um for people with obstructive sleep apnea.
SPEAKER_02Really? Mm-hmm.
Refill Red Flags And Safe Guardrails
SPEAKER_01And so insurances will cover it. Um, because that if you lose the weight, the obstructive sleep apnea could be resolved, and you can, you know. I would hope that because they're very expensive and they're costing our health system a lot, but it's saving on the other end. On the long run. Yeah. Yeah. So they're gonna have more coming out, more coming out, and more indications for the ones we do have as the as the evidence rolls in. So do you feel at this point it's a positive? I do. Um, I don't think that everybody uses them appropriately because there's lots of things that happen when you take these medications. So um people have GI symptoms. It slows your gastric emptying. Okay. So that also slows your absorption of certain vitamins and things like that. And so you have to be, you know. Replacing that. It also gets rid of lean body mass. So people are losing weight, but they're losing their muscle, the tone, and so they should be doing more strength or resistance training. So just like anything, we get excited about something, and then we there's still work you have to do for yourself. Drawbacks, yeah. So just like if you're not off the hook. Exactly. So there's things that I would love to see, I'm sorry, I would love to see um patients do to kind of help make this a better experience for them. But you know.
SPEAKER_02All right.
SPEAKER_01Oh, we'll be hearing about it for a while.
SPEAKER_02I'm sure. And uh uh one question uh that a lot of people I know we have come up in conversation with me what is the difference between generic and brand name? Of course, we all know it's the price, but how does that differ? Can you explain that to us?
Vaccine Myths, Facts, And Timing
SPEAKER_01So, okay, when a drug comes out, it's a novel drug, it's gonna be brand name only. After a certain amount of years on the market, um, the FDA will allow other companies to create the same product with active ingredients. The difference is your generics can have different what we call excipients. So that's like the stuff that just makes the pill. Um, sometimes it's just lactulopes, lactose, or just the powders, the other things besides the active ingredient can be different, which is why some people can say I took this generic, I defined, and I took this brand, this generic, and I didn't like it. Upset my stomach. So the active ingredient is the same, but the extra stuff could be different. And there's also a um percentage of the active ingredient. So I don't remember the numbers exactly, but let's say there might be the brand name has a hundred percent of the active ingredient, so a generic can have 95% in there, you know what I mean? So for the most people, same thing does the same thing, won't cause you any issues. People, some people are more sensitive, or for drugs that have um what we call a a smaller therapeutic index, for example, like thyroid medication, the smallest change can affect you. Oh yes. So then in that case, brand and generic is a big difference. In the um in pharmacy, we're legally obligated to dispense the generic for cost savings unless the doctor or the patient requests the brand, um, just because you know, because of the cost. Um, you know, the data shows they work just fine. Most people will be fine. But there are certain things that differ, and for people, some people are sensitive to those things. So the same, but also understandable. Yeah, if you don't like it. Yes, because it's not identical, exactly.
SPEAKER_02And you can say so. And how do you feel? We we pretty much know the answer to this, how medications impact overall wellness, sleep, inflammation, mood, movement. Medic medications are great, and thank goodness we have them for certain circumstances. But like I said, you don't get off the hook. You still should get proper sleep. You should still exercise and get great movement. You should you should still fight against inflammation in different um areas. So, how do you think medications impact us in that way?
SPEAKER_01Um I was just talking to my colleague about this now. Like, I think when people see that we're pharmacists or we're the drug specialists, we think that a drug fixes everything. We don't, which is obvious because I come to you. But um, there are there's a place for modern medicine. Um, I always think about like when I have my son, I told my my doctor, I was like, I'm gonna have it, I'm gonna have him natural and XYZ, and just like Ebony, you know, people come up to me and they tell me that, and I'm like, okay. I felt the first contraction. I was like, no, give me now, give me the injection. And so I think back in the day there was no epidural. People were doing this without pain relief. Yes. So there's a place for it and it's good because we're advancing, but everything does not need medication, um, particularly because sometimes we don't use them right, sometimes um they cause another issue that needs another medication. And so we have to really start getting to the core of things, at least try um non-medication options first, and then you know, be conservative when we are starting medications. But I agree. I see people on 15, 20 medications. I'm thinking to myself, you know, there's such a burden, I'm sure, on them, on you know, on their plan. It's just a lot. So finance. I think there's a place, right? There's a place for medication, but it's not the only option. And that's just like anything. There should be options for no matter what you do. Right.
SPEAKER_02Explore those options, question the answers, do what you have to do, and advocate for your own health. And what role does lifestyle and posture and physical activity play alongside medications? Oh, it's the biggest.
SPEAKER_01So, so many of our major diseases like diabetes, cardiovascular disease, comes from um how much we move and the things that we're eating. And so if you think about it, it really there really wouldn't be a need for a lot of these medications if we had healthier plastic. Yes. And so, you know, I mean in America we don't have the best food. Um, and you know, studies have shown that, you know, processed food can affect your health significantly. So that's where it all starts. And we all know that. We know that we just have to it's not it's not fun to eat healthy all the time, but it's you have to try. It may not be salads and high fiber all the time, but you try to gradually incorporate that.
GLP-1s: Promise, Risks, And Habits
SPEAKER_02But it's so important because there are lots of diseases that would not be as prevalent if in general with a healthy balance and just work your way up to what you would um have as ultimately um a more healthy lifestyle or eating habits for sure. Are there any medications that commonly cause musculoskeletal symptoms that patients should look out for? Because I do know uh with some of the patients I see, they come in with a bag of medications. And we have to kind of talk through what the side effects of some of those are. But do you know off the top of your head any?
SPEAKER_01Um, I would say statin drugs. So statins are your um cholesterol medications. You've heard of that, I'm sure. Um it feels like a Charlie horse, so just a really bad muscle cramps. It's it's it's a very common side effect of those drugs. It's really dose related, and it really depends on the patient. Well, you see it more often because almost everybody is on one from high cholesterol. So that's probably the most common one I could think of.
SPEAKER_02Okay, and that that helps us to know. Hopefully, someone listening um can learn something from that. And how do you feel like you collaborate with other uh physicians or practitioners with the patient's overall health? Are you allowed to do so within your scope of practice?
SPEAKER_01Yeah, so um over the years I've built, um, I've kind of worked through how to approach things when I was a sometimes when you try to make recommendations, it really depends on the person um or the provider. Sometimes they don't really want recommendation, but it's all about how you say things. So when I first started, I didn't really know how it were things, but now um I'll call and say, Hey, look, um, this dose feels kind of high. Um, I don't have to wait because you share that information with me. Sometimes that's all it is. Sometimes I'm looking at a four-year-old who's really, you know, a big kid, you know, and I don't know that, but it's really just about being respectful. Um, I don't I think that pharmacists in general, we're um we felt like you know, we don't want to overstep any boundaries, but we practice under our own license. So anything we give to the patient, we're responsible for. And so you have to understand that whatever happens, if the provider gets upset or whatever, and I like I said, I don't have that issue much anymore. But you have to realize you're advocating for the patient, and you have to realize that if you don't like their answer, you don't have to feel it. Because the first thing is to do no harm, so sometimes you'll just say, and I've done this before, I say, Well, look, I'm just not comfortable feeling it, and that's the thing, people don't know. You can say no, you want to pay the patient to get their medicine, but not if it's going to harm them. But just being respectful, um, just kind of laying out your concerns. I've learned over the years, providers really do respect that sometimes they're busy, sometimes they're in the ER, sometimes they didn't catch it. And it's a lot, everything is electronic now. Sometimes just click the wrong button. You know what I mean? So just call and be exactly be human about it and let them know. I really, I mean, that was one of my biggest concerns when I first started, but now like I'll call them all the time and I'll be like, hey, look, I don't even know what this means. Open communication.
SPEAKER_02It's okay not to know, but it's not okay to not question those exactly, exactly the better uh the patient, the patient and their health. Um, what's something doctors often wish patients knew before picking up their prescriptions?
Brand vs Generic: What Really Differs
SPEAKER_01Oh Lord, um I'm sure you have so many stories that you might not be able to share with us, but uh that are entertaining, but I think so I think there's a lot of misunderstanding around how well about what we do in the pharmacy. So your doctors and your prescription, and so I don't I've seen people come to the pharmacy within minutes of leaving the doctor's office, and I'm thinking to myself, I mean, it's not like it comes down the chute here, you know what I mean? We have the process, not at the bank, and then also the coverage. So we're working in a system where you know drugs are expensive. Most people have coverage, but not everything is covered, right? And so your doctor has the best for you, he's got this new drug, he wants to try it out. It's it's a thousand dollars and it's not covered. So you get to us and you want your medicine, but unless you want to be a thousand dollars for it, you're the bearer of bad news, exactly. So I um I wish that there was a way that the providers could know, you know, what was covered, and sometimes they pick up on the patterns when we call. And also just to know that I've had like telemed visits, and the provider will tell me your medicine will be ready about an hour. Now, this is the provider, and he's telling me that the medicine will be ready at the pharmacy in an hour. He's no idea. These people are probably giving vaccines, you know, there's probably a line in the drive-thru. It's not that simple. I would tell if I was a provider, I would say, I'm sending a prescription over, let the pharmacy notify you when it's ready. Right. Because we'll get ready. But just like you were coming from your doctor, we have hundreds of people who are coming from the doctor today.
SPEAKER_02Everyone's everyone wants it here and now. And we can't, we just don't have the capacity to do that.
SPEAKER_03Right, right.
SPEAKER_02And trying to navigate doing the best work you can efficiently has to be difficult to do that. Uh, what about the elderly population? I wanted to touch on that a little bit. How do you guide patients who may feel overwhelmed by that bag of medication? Whether it be a complex uh variety of medications or regimens, how as a pharmacist can you help them navigate through that?
SPEAKER_01Um, we have a few ways to help organize. Most people have pill organizers these days. Um there are there are pharmacies that do pill packing. Um I've never worked there, but they do that. But also it's very um sometimes it gets very simple. Like I'll go to the counter and I'll and I'll write, you know, cholesterol on the medicine. If they just can't, you know, remember, oh, I'll write morning on it. It can be so dangerous if they don't.
SPEAKER_02Can you just uh tell people if the that are listening what pill packs are? They may not know. I mean, I know because of my uh caring for my mom, but um it was very uh convenient too at the time. But can you explain what that means?
SPEAKER_01Yes, so a pill pack is basically when a pharmacy takes all of your medication and then they pack it into a blister. So, for example, they'll blister all your morning meds in this one little um pocket, and then in the morning you just pop out everything that's for the morning. So it takes away the organization from the patient, it's already organized. Um, so it's very, very helpful, especially for um, like you said, um older adults or people with um, you know, issues with health literacy or just understanding their medications and mobility? Mobility, yeah, very, very helpful.
SPEAKER_02Okay, so you see that quite a bit, I'm sure. How how how do you play a part in awareness and safety of medications? Do you have a say in that at all? Being behind the counter, or is that um the organization possibly that someone would work for that is responsible for that? Do you mean if I'm like seeing safety issues?
Medicine And Lifestyle: Finding Balance
SPEAKER_01Um, how do you bring that awareness with safety issues to the patient? Oh, um, we have we have an open line of communication with our patients in community pharmacy. Um, like that's your that's the most accessible healthcare professional. So people just walk up to you all the time. You can and you just like they walk up to you, we call them on the phone. But we do a lot of counseling. Um, and so there are opportunities before they pick up to let them know about you know, XYZ. If you take this, or I'll say, Hey, look, you're on both of these, don't take them at the same time. You'll be tired, extra sedated. Sometimes your breathing will be slowed, lots of safety things. So there's things we put in place to counsel them, and we document, of course, but also um, like when I went back to medication therapy management, uh, a lot of the insurance companies want you to do these quarterly and yearly check-ins with the patients, and so it's a pharmacist's job to come in and see how they're doing. We check in with them pretty often just to catch any like oh they're taking two of the same kinds of meds or stuff like that. So it's really just about constant communication. Sometimes they don't always remember, but I'm the kind of person I'll put this I'll put the the counsel on it on it every time you come just to let you know it might be safe to do so. Exactly.
SPEAKER_02Right. So with that communication, are there any barriers that you see with patient access to necessary medications? I know cost is definitely one, but are there any other barriers that you see in your line of work?
SPEAKER_01Um, yeah, besides cost, um, transportation. So I worked in uh most recently a population with um very limited transportation. A lot of them walked to the pharmacy. So um, and then if you get an older adult, right, if they can't drive anymore. So a lot of non-adherence, so just patients not taking their medication right, stems from costs sometimes, but a lot of it is just being able to get to the pharmacy.
SPEAKER_02Something that simple.
SPEAKER_01Yep. So that's where delivery comes in. Um, but uh sometimes you just they're just relying on, you know, a family member to come get a neighbor or something, and I mean that's a whole nother situation, you know what I mean?
SPEAKER_02That's more socioeconomic, and it's just and it's out of your hands, right?
SPEAKER_01So it must be tough to see. It is, it is, it is. So then you go to okay, well, they're having trouble getting to the pharmacy, so that's where you say, Okay, let me try to do 90 days. That way, instead of coming every month, you come four times a year, something like that, or fill as many as possible together, so they have to make less trips. You start to do trying to think creatively, right?
SPEAKER_02And I can't imagine you we keep bringing up communication. What is the either funniest or most surprising question that you've ever been asked while standing behind that pharmacy counter? Oh my gosh. Is there anything you can share with me?
SPEAKER_01Let me think of something. Um oh, I the other day I get a lot of non-medication questions. Oh, I don't know why. I don't know if it's just because I'm accessible, uh, but this man came up to me and he asked me for the Himalayan salt and um and something else, some kind of oil. And I'm thinking to myself, what for what? He's like, Yeah, you know, it lowers your blood pressure or something. I'm thinking to myself, I'm a pharmacist, surely. You shouldn't, I wouldn't know about salt and oils, and that's like seasonings, but I get that all the time. Just I I was told once, um, you're a pharmacist, right? And I said, Yeah, he said, Well, don't y'all have a nursing degree too. And I was like, No.
Statins And Musculoskeletal Symptoms
SPEAKER_02The misconception of your education and your ability under law to give out certain, you know, advice. I mean, that's that's very tricky. I'm sure you've seen some hurdles. What's the most frustrating part about your job? Um, the most frustrating part, and I don't mean hours and getting off when you for holidays, I mean either legally or when are your hands tied and it's the most frustrating for you.
SPEAKER_01Um, yeah, I would say following the laws. So a lot of people don't know that pharmacists, in addition to our clinical training, we had to pass a law exam. So we have to know laws. And so people think we're just trying to, we're just sometimes we're just being difficult, but we're literally trying not to do anything illegal. And so a lot of customers don't know that patients don't know that, yeah, that they're a loss to what we do, they're lost to um I may not be able to fill your prescription early every month, and I'll I can if if you're you know if I see it's fit, but if I feel your prescription early every month, and if you have an unfortunate event or there is something happens to you, then I will be held liable because legally, you know, I didn't do my due diligence to to you know protect you from those early fails. So that's frustrating to me. I think a lot of um patients think we just we just take the orders and do what the doctor says. But we have there's so many steps between when the doctor sends a prescription and getting it to us, and that's what frustrates. That's frustrating because um sometimes even if you explain it, people don't, you know, when you don't know, it just goes in one ear and out the other, but when you're living it, it's it's a bigger deal. So that's probably it, just having to navigate um the the barriers, um, the insurance coverage, the laws, and the safety. All before we can give you your medication. And not having people understand that, yeah.
SPEAKER_02So next time you're at the pharmacy, folks, have some patience. We'd appreciate it. We'd appreciate it. Possibly a better understanding of how important the time that you're taking behind that counter to make sure that you're providing the best care and uh the best way to provide that service to the public is through safety.
SPEAKER_01So exactly.
Collaborating With Providers Respectfully
SPEAKER_02So, with all of this stress and all of these frustrations that sometimes come with your position, how do you stay healthy? How do you stay active? What do you do in your spare time?
SPEAKER_01Um, I have lots of vices, but um first and foremost, I have really strong faith. So um I pray all the time. I'd have no idea how to made it this far without constant prayer. Um, so my faith, and then I also have lots of things I do for Fun enjoyment.
SPEAKER_03Yes.
SPEAKER_01And we talked about it before. I love growing succulents. I grow plants. That has been so therapeutic for me. So sometimes when you come home from a long day of work, you're running over. Did I did I do that right? Was the medicine right? You know, you're thinking about things. And then when you get to take care of your plants, you're completely in the moment. You're mindful. So I do a lot of that. Um, and then I like to travel. Yes. I like to do my work. And then we have that in common. Yes, I like to do my work and then I like to take my PCO. Yes. So that's what I do to get myself, you know, to keep myself healthy and my mind healthy. I should probably move my body more. You you gotta disconnect.
SPEAKER_02Yes, you really do. And I find that a lot with gardening also. The plants aren't in a rush. No, they're not gonna talk back. They don't want much from you, just some water and sunshine. Yeah. And it's just such a nice way to relax and reset. So we have so much in common when it comes to all that stuff. I know you know that. So, for our listeners today, what if there was one piece of advice that you would give? What is that one piece of advice uh takeaway from our conversation?
SPEAKER_01Um, I would like our patients to know, and I'm speaking for all of us, that we are here for you. And despite what it looks like, it may look kind of chaotic, it may look, it may be stressful for you, your pharmacist um is trying to take care of you. They are trying to protect you, and they are trying to do right by you. And that's what we got into this for is to be um to be to help people, to leave them better than we find them, to advocate for them. And even though there's a lot going on, it seems chaotic. We're still in there building relationships, we'll still we're still in there doing things behind the scenes to take care of you that you may never see. And so um, I would I would uh challenge um patients to just kind of really look at the person back there when they go and just imagine all the things they're doing to try to take up everybody, take care of everyone there. Right, um, and just keep that in mind, give a little grace, um, and know that you know we see you and we're we're trying to we're trying to take care of you, and it's changed a lot. But at the heart of it, that's still somebody who's there for you.
SPEAKER_02Yes, in this ever-changing world and an ever-changing profession. So thank you so much for being here. But my last question of the day is how do you maintain your posture while pursuing your purpose in life?
What Patients Don’t See At The Pharmacy
SPEAKER_01So I maintain my posture by keeping my faith. Um I have made it nine and a half years as a pharmacist by praying daily and just knowing that the plan for my life is inherently good. Everything that happens to me is also happening for me. And there are things that I've I've experienced in my career that seem like utter chaos and trauma, but they've really, really changed me for the better. You need that experience in life, and so my posture I maintain my posture by praying and remembering that no matter what happens, tomorrow the sun will come out, the plan for my life is good, everything's going to be okay because everything has been okay. Everything I've ever encountered, every obstacle, I've overcome. And so if you trust that, then everything will be okay.
SPEAKER_02Yes. Yeah. The sun will come out tomorrow. Well, thank you so much for being here today. Thank you for having me. I've really enjoyed it and um I appreciate you taking the time to do it. So until next time, sit up straight, stay happy, stay healthy, and stay adjusted.
SPEAKER_00Thanks for listening to the Posture and Purpose Podcast with Dr. Michelle Carr Frank. Make sure to subscribe on YouTube, Spotify, and Apple Podcasts. Until next time.