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Celebrated on January 12th of every year, national Pharmacist Day is a day to recognize and honor the crucial role pharmacists serve. At PetMeds, we have a staff of pharmacists and pharmacy technicians dedicated to the health and health and wellbeing of your furry family members. To help us learn a lot more about the role the pharmacist plays in your pet’s health care team, we’re interviewing Eddie, our PetMeds director of Pharmacy services and Prescription department Manager:
What made you decide to become a pharmacist?
I have always been interested in chemistry and math and have always been fascinated with pharmacy. I used to opt for my grandmother to pick up her prescription face cream from the pharmacy and I would enjoy the pharmacist dressed professionally and mixing various products then bringing the bottle and the describing to her how to use the medication. Whenever grandma would ask him a question he was always very great and would give a very good professional-sounding answer. That is about the time that the thought of becoming a pharmacist entered my mind.
What kind of training is required to become a pharmacist?
After undergraduate work is complete, a student in school to be a pharmacist will be taking classes such as Pharmaceutical calculations, medical terminology, pharmacy law, microbiology, drug information resources, chemistry, pharmacology, and similar classes that prepare the student to become an expert in medications.
Have you worked at any other pharmacies? how is being a pharmacist for PetMeds different?
I worked in a large healthcare facility where I used to prepare IV fluids, chemotherapy medication, Parenteral Nutrition, and all kinds of intravenous antibiotics. There is a bit of a difference between human doses and doses for pets, and pharmacists making the transition from humans to animals are always encouraged to get additional training in the field of veterinary medicine.
What must we know about giving medications to our pets?
Giving medication to animals presents different challenges because some animals do not like to take medication and may get pretty upset or scared. A PetMeds pharmacist is a great resource must you have any questions about administering your pet’s medications.
Do you have any pets? tell us about them:
I have 2 dogs and 4 cats, all rescues. Each one has a different personality and has a special place in my heart. For the little effort I put into rescuing these animals the amount of love I get back from that is at least ten fold. If I had limitless room and resources I would not leave any animals homeless.
Do you give any supplements to your own pets?
For my 2 large dogs I give a incredibly Joint Enhancer daily. This medication seems to help cushion the joints and stop or slows the development of inflammation. For my cats, I sprinkle about ½ a teaspoonful of Be Well on their food to supply some crucial Omega 3. Be Well also seems to stop my cats from becoming obese because I believe it prevents them from overeating. This is not a documented or even studied use for the product but I know for certain that considering that I started using this product my cats have been eating better and look healthier.
What recommendations would you give to a pet parent about pet medications?
Each medication has different properties, need to be handled differently, and given differently. Some medications can be split, some need to not be split, and some can be dissolved in liquids while others need to remain whole. Whether to give with food or on an empty stomach and whether two medications interact with each other or with a disease state are all good questions and worries that you can ask your veterinarian or your 1800Petmeds pharmacist, who would be a lot more than delighted to assist you.
We appreciate the insight into your profession, Eddie. next time we see a pharmacist, we’ll be sure to say “Thanks!” for being an crucial part of our health care team.