Profile of a Practice: Going the Extra Mile with Pharmaceutical Care
Author(s): Davis Jeanie Lerche
Issue: Nov/Dec 1999 - Compounding for Arthritis Patients
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Page(s): 455-456
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Abstract: This profile features Deril Lees, RPh, and his pharmacy, The Apothecary Shoppe, in Tulsa, OK. Every day at least 75 compounds leave his pharmacy, and often all are written by different doctors. Lees describes his strategy as just taking care of his patient’s needs and keeping an ear open to opportunities. This is Lees’ second pharmacy, and he began compounding in 1987 with one patient with migraine. He then went through his inventory to see what over-the-counter products he could improve by compounding and began recommending them to patients. Examples included a cold formulation, decongestant capsules and chigger-relief gel. A capsule formulation of dextromethorphan (usually bad tasting) was also extremely successful. Before moving to Tulsa, he put in eight years of “heavy marketing” to Tulsa physicians. He had to be extremely innovative in getting in to see physicians (and shares his methods). Today over 300 doctors in Tulsa are his patients as well as his clients. He fills over 1,000 prescriptions monthly for compounded preparations.
Related Keywords: compounding