- Can you please tell us about your journey on why you chose to become a pharmacist?
It was a slow journey and constant exposure. My aunt was a pharmacy technician at Rite Aid in Hollywood and my bus stop from middle school stopped in front of that store. I would go and wait in the pharmacy waiting room every day for about an hour until her shift ended so I could go home with her. During that time I would interact with the staff, see how the staff interacted with one another and also with patients. I really enjoyed the combination of professional yet casual relationship with both patients and doctors. As I got older, I realized I understood sciences well and decided to go “all in” with pharmacy. I went to pharmacy school open houses and meetings and grew fonder of the profession.
- What motivates you everyday to do the work that you do?
My personal motivations are my family. But I also enjoy having a job that requires a high attention to detail.
- Are you a specialist in any sort of specific area of pharmacy? If so, can you tell us more?
Aside from a “Registered Pharmacist” license that all pharmacists must have in California, I also have what is called an “Advanced Practice Pharmacist” license. Not everyone qualifies for it. You need to meet clinical training requirements. One of the main requirements is completion of at least 1 year clinical pharmacy residency (PGY-1) training. During my residency I specialized in chronic disease management (diabetes, asthma, COPD, anticoagulation) and Hepatitis C treatment.
- Where do you currently work? Is it your business?
As a pharmacist I work at Los Angeles County; Department of Health Services. I oversee all the LA County healthcare facilities’ use of non-formulary and specialty medications. It is a central office in the Health Services Administration building (Public Health building) in downtown LA. I am also an entrepreneur with ownership stakes in a few startups not pharmacy related.
- What would you recommend to the audience reading if they want to go into the field of pharmacy?
I think it is important to realize the field of pharmacy has changed a bit. 15-20 years ago pharmacists were in very high demand. Apparently not as much anymore. There are currently 15 pharmacy schools in California alone. Which means there are approximately 3,000 new pharmacists graduating from California schools every year. You have to do something to set yourself apart from the other candidates. That typically involves post graduate training such as a residency or fellowship. Also, get good at networking. Your network is your net worth. Pharmacy is an incredible place to start but it should not be the end. I often urge pharmacy students and colleagues to branch off from retail pharmacy in order to grow professionally.
- As a doctor, what are your views on men’s health/ mental health upkeep?
During these last few years I have gotten more and more interested in men’s health (mental health) specifically; more of a non-professional angle. I have realized it seems to be a prevalent “anti-men” or perhaps lack of empathy for men attitude in the society. I do not know where it stemmed from but it appears in the rush to accept feminism, men took some collateral damage. It is clear that we are experiencing an epidemic of loneliness in this country. I was born in 1986, which places me in a rather interesting age bracket. I am old enough to remember a world without cell phones, but also young enough to feel the impact of them. People used to be around each other all the time, not as much anymore. Whether it’s social media or something else, men seem to have lost something they desperately need to function properly, and that seems to be comradery with other good strong men.
- Are there any cons you can think of going into a pharmaceutical field?
I am going to answer this question as if you are asking about the “pharmacy field” as there is a difference between pharmaceutical and pharmacy. Most pharmacists have little to no say in their pharmaceutical field. Think of pharmaceuticals as more of a political entity and a political lobby while pharmacy is more healthcare and service. Pharmacists (along with other healthcare providers) try to use the best pharmaceutical options to treat people. That being said, we have extensive training on non-pharmacological therapies as well. There are no shortage of cons about the pharmaceutical industry. It is extremely driven by money, power, influence and political leverage. One of the most intriguing topics I discuss with other colleagues is that the United States is only 1 of 2 countries in the world that allows direct to consumer advertising for prescription medications. I believe this can be potentially harmful for a few reasons. They are essentially manipulating the general population into thinking they need a specific medication, while clinically, they may need something else; or even nothing at all.
- What are your thoughts on negative views towards medications? Especially mental health medication.
Most of my criticisms of the negative views of medications are generally directed at the apparent greed by the pharmaceutical companies. Mental health is a very difficult topic to discuss. Unlike other conventional diseases, for example diabetes, you can not measure treatment success and failure with a conventional objective test. With diabetes, if I give someone 10 units of insulin, I can see a drop in their blood sugar with a simple blood test, therefore I know a medication is working. With mental health medications, there is no direct way of measuring success/failure. Oftentimes, there are multiple things that need to be addressed. In addition to pharmacological options a person might need talk therapy, group therapy, lifestyle changes, etc. Also many mental health medications have mechanisms of action that are still relatively unknown. We have a suspicion of how they work, but do not know without a doubt. Sometimes it helps, and in rare cases they may actually be more harmful. Therefore the best option is to have a close relationship with the treating physician that knows how to treat mental health appropriately.
- Where do you see yourself in the next 10 years?
In 10 years my goal is to be a full time healthcare entrepreneur. I am currently working on creating ways to integrate pharmacists in healthcare teams that traditionally don’t have them. I plan on having this operational within 5 years, and by 10 years I hope to have systems in place where I can be removed from operations and the process be automated. One of my goals later on is to go into academia as well.
- Lastly, what advice would you give young men and men in general about wellness/ health?
FIrst and foremost it is essential to get in shape. I did not realize the importance of this until last year. I have been overweight most of my adult life and thought that was my normal. Last year I started to take my health and fitness seriously and lost 100 pounds. It has changed my life, my mental well being, and given me the stamina I needed. After getting your body right, young men need to build or find a community of like minded strong men to rely on. It is also important to find strong mentors in your life to provide guidance on family values, morals and entrepreneurship. Next, I am a big advocate for reading. Read as many books as possible, ideally books about stoicism, personal development, and business. In addition to learning from these books, being well read also helps with your communication skills. If you are well read, you are well spoken, and being able to orate effectively can be a weapon in this ruthless world. Next, I would recommend putting all these previous things together with the mission of making as much money as possible. Now that your body is fit, you have a team of strong men, have the knowledge from books and mentors, you can become as successful as you want. The purpose of money is not to flaunt it or chase the new flashy thing, but rather to provide security and have influence. Although money does not buy your happiness, lack of money certainly buys misery. If all of these are done right, I have a truly believe most men would be happy and fulfilled.
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