Feeling Well with or without Medications w/ Reshma Kapadia, PharmD

Summary:
In this episode of the CareLab podcast, hosts Emilia Bourland, OTR, ECHM, CFPS, and Brandy Archie, OTD, OTR/L, CLIPP, are joined by Reshma Kapadia, PharmD, to discuss the importance of both medications and natural remedies in maintaining health and well-being. Reshma, a practicing pharmacist with over 20 years of experience, shares insights into the roles of pharmacists, the significance of proper medication management, and the benefits of incorporating healthy lifestyle choices.
 

Key Takeaways:

• Holistic Health: Emphasizing the importance of a balanced diet, physical activity, and mental peace for overall well-being.
• Role of Pharmacists: Understanding the expansive knowledge pharmacists possess and their crucial role in medication management.
• Medication Timing: Highlighting the importance of taking medications at prescribed times for optimal effectiveness.
• Consultation Benefits: The value of consulting with pharmacists to avoid adverse drug interactions and ensure appropriate medication use.
• Natural Remedies: Utilizing home remedies and natural options like herbal teas for common ailments before resorting to medications.

 

Transcript:
Emilia Bourland, OTR, ECHM, CFPS: Hey everyone, welcome to CareLab.

Brandy Archie, OTD, OTR/L, CLIPP: Welcome to Care Lab. I'm so excited that we are all here to have this awesome conversation.

Emilia Bourland, OTR, ECHM, CFPS: Yes, me too. I'm going to apologize in advance for my terrible wrinkly background. I'm in my closet today recording, and I thought it would be nicer to look at my sad wrinkled sheet than my sad messy closet. So there you go.

Brandy Archie, OTD, OTR/L, CLIPP: Understand and all the listeners you don't have to endure this pain that we see with our eyes.

Emilia Bourland, OTR, ECHM, CFPS: Yeah, that's true. And it is. Did you guys iron your sheets?

Brandy Archie, OTD, OTR/L, CLIPP: Like, for my bed? No. No.

Reshma Kapadia, PharmD: Yeah.

Emilia Bourland, OTR, ECHM, CFPS: Me neither, but I know people who do.

Brandy Archie, OTD, OTR/L, CLIPP: That's very homely and awesome of them, but I just can't.

Reshma Kapadia, PharmD: Yeah, yes, I unfortunately.

Emilia Bourland, OTR, ECHM, CFPS: It's a lot of work. No, no, clearly neither do I.

Brandy Archie, OTD, OTR/L, CLIPP: So, okay, I have a question. We have Dr. Reshma Kapadia here who is a pharmacist. And so because in honor of having a pharmacist here, here is what our icebreaker question is. I wanna know what are the things that you take, put into your body that make you feel better, that always make you feel better? You know, like, do you have home remedies? Do you have a medication? You're like, yeah, I gotta have that because it does this. What is the thing that helps you?

Emilia Bourland, OTR, ECHM, CFPS: That's a good question.

Reshma Kapadia, PharmD: Yeah, so the thing that comes to my mind is healthy foods, you know, stuff like for the soul, things that help your soul, meaning quiet, peace, walks, your dog. So I take in a lot of soul enriching things in my life experiences that make me feel good. But when it comes to a...

Brandy Archie, OTD, OTR/L, CLIPP: Mm -hmm.

Reshma Kapadia, PharmD: Medication. Unfortunately, I don't have a recommendation. Unless you are having symptoms of some pain or something like that, then of course, medications help. But just for today, I think, you know, having a good lifestyle and diet is just what I would, that makes me feel better.

Brandy Archie, OTD, OTR/L, CLIPP: So I don't hear you saying anything about things that you want to actually ingest besides natural things, unless you have a very particular reason for it. Is that fair statement?

Reshma Kapadia, PharmD: Very, yes, exactly.

Brandy Archie, OTD, OTR/L, CLIPP: Amelia, what you got?

Emilia Bourland, OTR, ECHM, CFPS: Yeah, I mean, I'm going to be boring and basically say the same. I mean, I definitely can tell the difference in how I feel both in my body and in terms of like my attitude and how clearly I'm thinking based on whether or not I'm putting good healthy food into my body. So like if I'm eating junk, I'm going to feel like junk. But if I'm doing a good job making good choices, you know, healthy fruits and vegetables, lots of like fresh whole foods, whole grains, things like that. Then, then yeah, I feel better and I think, and I look better, I think, and I, and I, I, you know, my mental health, I think is better. And I think my thought clarity is, is better too. And I'm certainly, I'm not opposed. Like if I need medicine, I'll take the medicine, you know, I'm, I'm not opposed to better living through chemistry, but I also think, you know, sometimes the, the simple, boring answer for me is just like, you know, if you put good stuff in, you generally feel better too. Mm -hmm.

Brandy Archie, OTD, OTR/L, CLIPP: You get good stuff out. Yeah, I'll put equals input. This is so interesting because I have a very similar answer. I really appreciate, I'm not anti -medication, but I definitely appreciate the food as medicine concept. And so if something feels not right in my life or my body, then the first thing I'd like to think about is what can I eat that will eat or drink that will help ameliorate this situation first?

Reshma Kapadia, PharmD: Yeah. Yeah.

Emilia Bourland, OTR, ECHM, CFPS: How about you?

Brandy Archie, OTD, OTR/L, CLIPP: And then if I need to have something else, then something else. Like a good example is a headache, right? I don't have headaches that often, but if I do, the first thing is not take Tylenol. It's, I probably didn't sleep enough. So I'm going to try to sleep or just rest at the bare minimum. And then if I can't deal with it, then maybe I'll take some Tylenol. But for the most part is that. And I have somehow convinced my kids that tea solves all problems.

Emilia Bourland, OTR, ECHM, CFPS: Mm -hmm.

Brandy Archie, OTD, OTR/L, CLIPP: And so if they feel like their stomach hurts or their throat is irritated or they're coughing or whatever, they don't feel good. I'm like, do you want some tea? And so tea is like a general term that I doctor for the situation. So if their throat hurts, it's got honey in it. If their stomach hurts, it's got ginger in it. You know, it's just like trying to use other things to help them feel better. And then they just like it because they feel like they're being babied by their mama. So they feel better.

Emilia Bourland, OTR, ECHM, CFPS: Mm -hmm.

Reshma Kapadia, PharmD: Well, that's interesting you say that because in ancient areas and Eastern medicine is tea and herbal remedies, which was all they had in the ancient days to help or cure and alleviate symptoms that patients or people had. So it was what you're doing is actually a form of medication, a pharmacy that we used a long time ago. So that's cool that you say that because.

It is very helpful and I feel like we need to go back to that too.

Brandy Archie, OTD, OTR/L, CLIPP: Mm -hmm. Agreed. And like, I feel like I'm, for lack of better words, bastardizing it because I know there's lots of science behind it and I don't know enough to really be like actually prescribing the right herbs to be doing the thing, but I have my few little things that I would use and maybe I'll get smarter from here.

Reshma Kapadia, PharmD: Yeah. Yes, for sure. Yeah.

Emilia Bourland, OTR, ECHM, CFPS: I also think that like a cup of tea, kind of what you were saying earlier, Reshma, it's just good for your soul. Like it just feels good. My kids are kind of the same. If they are having a hard day or maybe they don't feel good or they just want to feel like comforted, they'll ask for a cup of tea, you know? And it's just, I think it's so much, especially for like kids and their moms, like mom made me this cup of tea. And you know, when someone you love like,

Brandy Archie, OTD, OTR/L, CLIPP: Mm -hmm.

Reshma Kapadia, PharmD: Thank you.

Emilia Bourland, OTR, ECHM, CFPS: Does something like that for you that's just always comforting. It just makes you feel better no matter what, right?

Reshma Kapadia, PharmD: For sure, yes.

Emilia Bourland, OTR, ECHM, CFPS: So let's jump into what is I'm sure a very broad field of pharmacology and how do we actually get to feeling well with and without medication. I'm sure a lot of our listeners are wondering who you are and why you're here. So Reshma, can you give us a little bit of background about who you are and why you're talking to us?

Reshma Kapadia, PharmD: Sure, I am Reshma Kapadia. I am a PharmD, which is a doctorate of pharmacy and a clinical pharmacist. And I have been a clinical pharmacist for over 20 years in the medical field and I work in an outpatient clinic with other healthcare providers. I have worked at hospitals. I've been an adjunct professor at a university and currently I'm working in an outpatient clinic setting, like I mentioned, with other providers, such as medical doctors, nurse practitioners, physician assistants, nutritionists, social workers. And so our goal is a holistic approach to taking care of patients in an outpatient clinic setting.

Brandy Archie, OTD, OTR/L, CLIPP: That sounds very fun and very fulfilling. I'm curious, what does a pharmacist actually do? I think a lot of people have assumptions about pharmacists, you know, it's like that person behind the counter who fills the prescriptions and answers a couple questions, but I know it's so much more than that. Can you tell us more?

Reshma Kapadia, PharmD: Sure, yes. A pharmacist is involved in so many things in patient care. We, like you said, are behind the counter and that is an outpatient, a community setting where a pharmacist is involved in the process of actually filling a prescription, making sure that the medication is correct for the patient, making sure there's no interactions with other medications, verifying with the doctor if there's any corrections needed, explaining to the patient, any issues, any directions, any precautions, any side effects. But we are also in different areas of pharmacy. For example, I'm in a clinic where we are involved in direct patient care. So we're working with providers who refer patients to us to help them manage their medications, help them manage their disease states. So I would see patients for like diabetes management, hypertension management, asthma management, COPD, CHF. So we're working closely with the patient to make sure that their disease states are controlled, their medications are working correctly, that they understand what they're taking, how to take it correctly, the importance of taking it correctly. And we're trying to alleviate any issues or problems they may have with taking medications. A lot of times patients have barriers such as they can't afford medications. So we're involved in making sure that we get the correct medication that they can afford or get them on some kind of program where they can get the medication. We can look at the formulary of what medications are covered, not covered and make those switches. So our role is very vast in the field of pharmacy and we have a lot of interaction with patients and their disease states.

Brandy Archie, OTD, OTR/L, CLIPP: Yeah, that is so much more than what I would think of when I think of pharmacist. I mean, I know that pharmacists have a lot of schooling. I'm just curious, is there a specific area that you have more schooling in than others? Or what is your specialty in all of this?

Reshma Kapadia, PharmD: Sure. So my specialty is actually outpatient clinic work and helping manage patients with their medications and disease states. So like I mentioned, all the chronic disease states such as diabetes, hypertension, asthma, those are my specialties that I actually see patients and take care of those specific diseases.

Brandy Archie, OTD, OTR/L, CLIPP: So I have a question, a real life question. When my daughter was, I guess she was like two or three, she got a double ear infection. And so we had the conversation with the doctor who was like, well, she's not gonna be contagious after 24 hours of the antibiotic. And you know, the infection should go away in X amount of time. And we got our medication and then they tell you when to give it and what times of the day and everything. And I'm curious, cause they were very specific about that. And I don't think people really think about that much. And as a pharmacist, can you explain a little bit more about why it's important to take it at a certain time and then also what happens if you miss a dose? Like how long do you wait to take it again and that kind of thing?

Reshma Kapadia, PharmD: Sure, yes. The timing is important because it allows the medication to work correctly. So for example, an antibiotic, you want it to work during a specific amount of time so that it's effective. So for example, if it's every six hours or every 12 hours, that allows the body to absorb it and for it to work at its most effective time. So the timing is important for the medication to work correctly and for your disease state or your condition to be cured appropriately. If you miss a dose, we recommend taking it as soon as you remember, unless you're close to the next dose. Then we would say, just go ahead and skip that dose and then take your next dose when it's due. Because sometimes taking the medication too closely can be harmful. So the timing is very important. The other thing is patients also tend to not finish their medication, especially antibiotics. They feel good after a couple of days and then they just stop taking it. But the bacteria is still there. You know, it's just not, you don't have the symptoms anymore. So it's important to complete the entire medication regimen so that you can actually kill the bacteria and then make sure that your infection is completely gone.

Brandy Archie, OTD, OTR/L, CLIPP: So let's say that you missed a dose and you take it as soon as you remember, how long should you wait before you take the next one? Or is it depending on what the medication is, I'm assuming.

Reshma Kapadia, PharmD: It depends on the medication. So if it's a, if it's an antibiotic that's like every six hours or every eight hours, then you can space it out. You know, say you took it now, you would wait another eight hours before you take your next dose. So if you missed it by a couple of hours, you would just space it out by those amount of hours. But like you said, it depends on the medication, how frequently it's supposed to be taken. If it's like an every 24 hour medication, that's different, you know, you would just take it the next day. So depending on how often the medication is supposed to be taken.

Emilia Bourland, OTR, ECHM, CFPS: It sounds complicated.

Brandy Archie, OTD, OTR/L, CLIPP: Yeah. And like, do pharmacists explain that at the pharmacy when you pick up medications? Do they go into that much detail?

Reshma Kapadia, PharmD: Yeah, we do actually. We, we give them a, what we call counseling, patient counseling, where we go over with the patient, um, you know, when to take it, what times of day to take it, how to take it, you know, do you take it with food, without food, what time of the day, do you take it in the morning, evening. So we go through all of that with the patient at the pharmacy. And if they have any questions, you know, we're there to answer those questions for them.

Brandy Archie, OTD, OTR/L, CLIPP: That is super helpful because I know that there are times when I am in that position and I just want to take it and get rid of it, but not really understand why it's important to do what they're telling me to do. It's just like, just fix it. And that's how I've operated in the past, but I've learned that that does not always work out for me.

Reshma Kapadia, PharmD: Yes.

Brandy Archie, OTD, OTR/L, CLIPP: So we all have those lessons. I have another question for you, Reshma. If someone was like, okay, I'm taking all these medications and I'm really wondering if I need to be on all these medications, how would you suggest they go about asking that question? Like, is it just as simple as talking to the pharmacist or should they be asking more specific questions? What should they do?

Reshma Kapadia, PharmD: Yes, they can ask their pharmacist, their doctor as well, because we, we go through medication reconciliation, we call it, where we look at all of their medications and make sure that they are needed and make sure that they're not interacting with other medications. So that is important. If they're questioning any medications, we definitely go through all of that and explain to them, you know, why they need it or don't need it. And if there's any changes that need to be made, we can always make changes as well.

Brandy Archie, OTD, OTR/L, CLIPP: That makes sense. Thanks.

Emilia Bourland, OTR, ECHM, CFPS: That does make sense. So it's, it's safe to ask questions about it. And I think sometimes people are afraid to do that because they don't want to seem like they don't understand, but that's what y'all are there for is to answer those questions, right?

Reshma Kapadia, PharmD: Yes, exactly. We, we encourage it. We encourage patients to ask questions so that they can understand what they're taking and why they're taking it.

Emilia Bourland, OTR, ECHM, CFPS: All right. So we have covered a lot of ground today, I think.

Brandy Archie, OTD, OTR/L, CLIPP: That is awesome. Well, I'm so glad that you were able to join us today, Reshma. This has been very helpful. And I hope that all of our listeners are getting something that they can take and use to feel better without or with medications.

Reshma Kapadia, PharmD: Yes. Thank you for having me. It's been a pleasure.

Emilia Bourland, OTR, ECHM, CFPS: Yeah, it's been great. And listeners, remember to take good care of yourselves. And if you have questions about your medications or how to feel better, don't hesitate to ask your pharmacist.

Brandy Archie, OTD, OTR/L, CLIPP: Absolutely. Thanks everyone for listening. And if you enjoyed this episode, be sure to subscribe to the CareLab podcast on YouTube or your favorite podcast platform so you don't miss any of our future episodes. Take care!

 

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