Pharmacists have been identified as the most accessible healthcare professional. With this in mind, pharmacists are perfectly positioned to impact many public health problems faced today. Whether related to smoking cessation, vaccination, health screening, diagnostic testing, nutritional deficiencies, the opioid crisis, or maternal-fetal health, pharmacists can transform the health of communities around the nation and the world!

Listen as we talk with Myriam Shaw Ojeda, Assistant Professor of Pharmacy Practice at The Ohio State University College of Pharmacy. She also serves as the Director of Pharmacy Extension and Public Health Initiatives with the Ohio Pharmacists Association and is a 2019 alumna of the Cedarville University School of Pharmacy. In this episode, she explains how pharmacists can impact public health in myriad ways.

Is pharmacogenomic testing helpful in geriatric patients? You bet, and Dr. Tamara Ruggles is leading the way in this area. Tamara is no stranger to breaking through barriers and improving patient care through entrepreneurship, innovation, collaboration, and relationship-building. She is a Board Certified Geriatric Pharmacist with over ten years of experience as a consultant pharmacist in the long-term care setting. Tamara is the owner and operator of Specialty Pharmacy Consulting and The Deprescribing Clinic. She also hosts the LTC Pharmacy Podcast on the Pharmacy Podcast Network. She is passionate about antimicrobial stewardship, pharmacogenomics, deprescribing, and reducing anticholinergic burden. Tamara and her husband live with their seven children in Bismarck, North Dakota.

In this episode of DISRxUPT, Tamara tells how she started her own consulting business and later founded The Deprescribing Clinic, which leverages pharmacogenomic testing to tailor medication regimens for her patients. We also delve into antimicrobial stewardship, deprescribing in older adults, podcasting, and even a little college basketball! Listen and be inspired by Tamara's passion for improving the lives of her patients in novel ways.

Pickleball is one of the newest sports that has taken the United States by storm. So what does pharmacy have to do with pickleball? Well, probably a lot more than you think! For any athlete to stay at the top of their game (including pickleballers), many factors must be considered: mental toughness, nutrition, physical training, functional movement, metabolic health, and even supplements and medications. Some of these medications are taken chronically, while others are used to treat injuries of all types. Few people understand the comprehensive needs of athletes better than our guest on this episode, Dr. Brandon Welch.

Brandon serves as the clinical sports wellness pharmacist for Baptist Health South Florida. He is also the founder of Pharmacy Athlete and President of the Sports Pharmacy Network. Brandon is a certified sports nutritionist, nutrigenomics specialist, consultant pharmacist, and wellness coach. For years, he has taught athletes effective and practical ways to improve their metabolic health and optimize human performance. Brandon has worked with elite athletes ranging from “weekend warriors” to professional athletes in the ATP, NFL, NHL, and PGA. Listen as he explains what Sports Pharmacy entails and how this industry is ripe for innovation and expansion!