(Music).
This morning we continue our four part series on improving
health care for you and your family with the help
of your pharmacist.
It's part two in our series and today we're talking about heart
health and COPD.
And here to explain is Dr. Marsha Mallett from Good
Neighbor Pharmacy a network of more then three thousand locally
owned community pharmacies.
Welcome Marsha.
Thank you.
Thank you for having me.
First of all your stunning and who wouldn't want you as your
pharmacist.
Thank you, thank you so much.
Marsha remind me what you do at Good Neighbor Pharmacy.
Well Julie, I'm not just a pharmacist, I am a pharmacist
that likes to talk to our patients, um I
consult with them.
We're community driven.
We do alot of community activities with the patient.
Our patients know us by name and they can come and talk to us
about anything.
Your pharmacist is so important.
YOu see them more then your doctor so I love what you're
doing there and I'm sure you do treat alot patients who have
heart disease and how are you able to help in that area?
One of the things i want to point out is that heart disease
is the leading cause of deaths here in America amongst women
and men and let me add that according to the world health
organization as recent as 2012 there were 17.5 million deaths
that were attributed to heart disease which
represented about 31 percent.
Now that's globally.
Those numbers are pretty staggering.
Yes they are.
So what we want to point out are the risk factors for heart
disease.
You have smoking, high blood cholesterol, high blood
pressure, there's obesity, over weight, physical
inactivity and diabetes.
Many of our patients come in presenting with those risk
factors and we get an opportunity to educate and talk
to them about there disease and talk to them about their
medications and make certain that they're taking their
medications like they're supposed to and if there are any
issues there we have the opportunity and the time to
contact their physician.
So it's always a collaborative effort with the patients.
What I love about Good Neighbors is that you aren't behind this
wall.
You're right there, your accessible, and you can deal
with your patients and their issues.
Absolutely.
You know we're up front and personal.
You know we, I say it's like an old fashion type of feel.
we know them by name, we get to know their families because we
see them more often then not then their physicians.
And in dealing with their smoking issues, number one, you
know, I talk to my patients about ok are you ready to quit.
Because you first make the commitment that you want to quit
that you want to stop and then I offer information such as
support groups and then there are medications that are
available to assist them.
One of the leading cause of COPD is smoking and that goes hand
and hand because remember one of the risk factors for a
heart disease is smoking.
Many times you have patients that have more then one
condition so it's very important that we're there to take the
time and talk to the patient and make certain that they
understand there conditions because sometimes they come in,
they take medication and they ask me ok doctor, what
am I taking this for?
What is this medication for?
You know and then I have to point out to them, ok your
doctor prescribed this medication because you have
heart disease or it's because you have high blood pressure.
I also say to them, you know, you have to make certain you
know the name of your medication because they'll come and they'll
say ok will I know I got this pink pill or this green pill and
I say no no no.
It's very important that you know and understand the name of
your medication because God forbid there's an emergency and
you and the person that's taking care of you they must know
exactly what your taking.
So yes, we do like going out front and coming from behind the
counter and having that interaction with our patients
because we're very much community driven.
That's what we do, you know, you have patients who are diabetic,
we have patients with high blood pressure, we have
patients with high cholesterol.
We have patients who have HIV, ho have caner and we're taught
to look at the patient and their presentation and be able to
counsel them to help better their issues.
Marsha, thank you so much for coming by.
Great information.
Thank you for having me.
Alright if you want to know more log onto TheBalancingAct.com You
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