On April 20, we were pleased to have Brad Stapley, Pharm D, as our Brown Bag Luncheon speaker. He is a second generation pharmacist from the local Stapley family. The focus of his talk was to describe ways your local pharmacist serves as an important member of your health care team. Your local facility can provide personalized care, as opposed to utilizing mail order sources for medications, by procuring reliable and safe medications; preparing them for you; processing the method of payment, including insurance; and protecting your well-being by searching database information and offering personal consultation. Different pharmacies do not share databases so it is important, if possible, to patronize the same pharmacy for your medication needs.
Brad elaborated on the top recommended Neutraceuticals it is suggested we take in addition to prescribed medications. (Neutraceuticals are products such as nutrients, dietary supplements, herbal products, specific diets and processed foods.) Recommended are:
- Multivitamin
- Enzyme CoQ10
- ALA (Alpha-lipoic Acid)
- Probiotics
- Magnesium (either amino acid chelate or glycinate
- Omega 3
- Vitamin D3
- Zinc
- Ashwagandha
We were warned about using the popular Prescription Discount Coupon cards. They usually are only a means for the provider of the card to gather your personal information and, in most instances, offer no credible service to the customer. Brad did state that often great financial return can be realized by searching the websites of reputable drug manufacturers for their offers for medication reimbursement.
As we know, there are various insurance drug plans available and research will indicate the best one for your individual needs. Prices of co-pays charged for such plans are not determined by an individual pharmacy but by other outside agencies.
Throughout his talk, Brad emphasized the need for us to be informed and to trust that our local pharmacist can be a supportive partner in helping us maintain optimum health and wellness.