[Visual Description] Opening Slide: The Cocoon is a vlog series brought to you by Pink Wings of Hope, a program of DEAF, Inc. - www.deafinc.org/pink [Visual Description] Hosted by Stephanie. Picture of Stephanie inside a circle. Stephanie has long curly hair, with a black blouse, and is wearing glasses. [Visual Description] Now we see Stephanie sitting down on a chair with striped materials. The background is grey greenish color. There’s a lamp on the left side. [Stephanie] We will be interviewing a pharmacist. Often, we go to our pharmacy and aren't sure what to ask our pharmacist about whether it is okay to take certain medications with our current treatments. We assume they know everything because they work directly with medications. Let's find out what kind of questions we should be asking or what the pharmacist wishes we would ask them I am honored to have Dr. Kelsey Alderks with us. Please tell me about yourself. How long have you been a pharmacist? [Visual Description] Two women sitting down on a grey couch. On the left is an interpreter wearing a black shirt with dark grey plaid pants. On the right, we see Dr. Kelsy Alderks, a pharmacist. She has blonde hair, wearing glasses, and wearing a teal dress. The background is a grey greenish color. There’s a lamp on the right side of Dr. Alderks. [Dr. Alderks] My name is Kelsey Alderks. I am originally from Northern Illinois. I moved to Saint Louis about five years ago, and I have been a pharmacist for 12 years, and have worked in a pharmacy for 16 years. [Stephanie] What is the role of a pharmacist? [Dr. Alderks] There are a lot of different things that your pharmacist does. A lot of things people don't think about. So, we do dispense medication which is typically what you expect when you think of a pharmacist. But also we look at all of your diseases, we assess your vaccinations, and the most important thing we do is look at drug-to-drug interactions and help prevent any problems that might come from those. [Stephanie] What made you decide to learn sign language? [Dr. Alderks] When I was at pharmacy school in Des Moines, I worked at a Target and my pharmacist was deaf. She was the manager. Her name was Bethany, and I was her technician or assistant for the six years that I was in school. So, I was so impressed with how she connected with her customers and how amazing the entire sign language (deaf) world was. And I finished school being a pharmacist. But since then, I want to kind of marry those two things that I love the most. So, signing and medication. [Stephanie] Why is it important for a person to communicate with their pharmacist? [Dr. Alderks] Just like you, as the patient, assume that the pharmacist knows everything. We assume that you understand the complex part of medication and it's not always that simple. It is so important to tell your pharmacist how you're feeling, the side effects you experience, any other medical conditions, or especially if you're using another pharmacy so that we can look at the problem as a whole and not miss any holes that might affect your health moving forward. [Stephanie] What type of questions do you wish Deaf, Hard of Hearing, and DeafBlind individuals would ask a pharmacist when they are undergoing treatment for cancer? [Dr. Alderks] I wish they were honest about how the medication made them feel and ask how we can improve it. A lot of medications, while they're there to help you feel better. They have side effects that can make taking them hard. So if they were as open and honest about it, about “I'm nauseous”, “I can't sleep” or other problems you're experiencing. And they asked about that. We could make it a lot easier. You just don't know what you don't know. Communicating with a hearing person is often a challenge for the Deaf, Hard of Hearing, and DeafBlind people, as well as understanding medical terminology, or even remembering the long name of a medication. [Stephanie] How would you suggest us communicate with our pharmacist? [Dr. Alderks] I think the best way to go about that is to make sure your pharmacist knows that you are deaf or hard of hearing so that they can plan for extra time to go over everything about the medication with you. It's important to not take the pamphlet home that comes with the medication, that lists all the scary side effects with it, and read that on your own. It can be very overwhelming. The words are hard to understand, but rather if your pharmacist knows that you need extra time with them to explain what's happening with their medication, they can make it more concise for you to understand and then have that relationship and they can spend more time and make you a priority so that your medication you can stay on for your health. [Stephanie] Is it okay for a person to go to any pharmacy store to pick up medicine, or should we stay with one company? Why? [Dr. Alderks] It's very important when you can to get all of your medications at the same pharmacy because our computers don't all connect. And let's say you're picking up a medication for blood pressure one place or chemo at another, they might interact and cause you to have a harmful episode coming up. Your pharmacist won't know that. Same thing with over-the-counter vitamins, herbs, and supplements. They're all very important to make sure your pharmacist is aware to prevent any drug-to-drug interactions, so sticking with one pharmacist is the only way to do it. [Stephanie] Why do pharmacists sometimes disagree with a medication prescription and call the doctor to change it? Why cannot they just accept what the doctor prescribes and fill it? [Dr. Alderks] I like to explain that to people because it gets asked a lot, especially if you come up to the counter, a pharmacy counter, and you're frustrated that your medication isn't ready and we tell you, “Hey, I'm waiting for the doctor to change it or fix it.” I like to explain it the way in an education system, the principal knows a lot about a lot of different things, but the Special Ed teacher knows everything there is to know about special education. Same way with doctors and pharmacists. We are the medication experts. We spent our entire school, all six years learning about that. We know it in and out. Doctors don't have as much time spent with medication because they're also learning diagnosis and how to treat and how to look at wounds and stuff like that. So they are so knowledgeable, so helpful. However, there are times when they make a choice or send over a dose that we just have more education behind. And it's really a collaborative effort when we get there to make sure we make the best choice for you as a patient. [Stephanie] Should they ask you questions like does my medication interact with any other medicines, supplements or food? [Dr. Alderks] Yes. Vitamins, supplements, herbs. All important to make sure your pharmacist knows you're taking. But I think the most important one that you just said is food. So many medications can interact with food or are better absorbed with different kinds of food. So going through your diet, although it takes a longer time to stand at the counter and talk through, can really help make sure you feel the best when you're on medications that might not always initially start that way. [Stephanie] Should we ask our pharmacist which over-the-counter medicine is safe when going through chemo or radiation? [Dr. Alderks] Definitely. Chemo and radiation. Chemo, specifically, are very strong medication. They're not something that's light or delicate on your body. So, anything over the counter, it could be the baby aspirin. Something very simple could wreak havoc after you're on chemo. So again, open communication with your pharmacist is so important. They are usually more accessible than getting a hold of your doctor right away. [Stephanie] Should they tell you they have cancer? [Dr. Alderks] Yes. Please make sure to tell your pharmacist if you have cancer or any other more simple health conditions in your past, like high blood pressure, high cholesterol, all of these things can change how effective your medication is and help make your process to healing better. [Stephanie] Any advice you would like to share with us? [Dr. Alderks] Definitely. If you are Deaf, Hard of Hearing or DeafBlind, please make sure you tell your pharmacist that so that we can make sure we spend the necessary time with you, give you the right resources so that you can stay on your meds. And we can make sure we get you to your right health goal. The other part of it is to find a pharmacist that you know and trust. The better we know you, and the longer we have that relationship, the better health we're going to get for you in the end. Thank you. Again, my name is Dr. Kelsey Alderkss. Bye, everyone. [Stephanie] WOW! What wonderful information! I have learned some new things. Thank you for taking time out of your busy schedule to be interviewed by us. This information will help Deaf, Hard of Hearing, and DeafBlind individuals communicate better with their pharmacists. If you have any more questions or need more support, please contact your pharmacist or reach out to us at Pink Wings of Hope. [Visual Description] Deaf Organizations Fund Logo - This program, material or resource is supported by Deaf Organizations Fund (DOF). The content is solely the responsibility of the author(s) and does not necessarily represent the official views of DOF. For more information, visit www.DeafOrganizationsFund.org. [Visual Description] Closing Slide: The Cocoon is a vlog series brought to you by Pink Wings of Hope, a program of DEAF, Inc. - www.deafinc.org/pink
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[Visual Description] Opening Slide: The Cocoon is a vlog series brought to you by Pink Wings of Hope, a program of DEAF, Inc. - www.deafinc.org/pink
[Visual Description] Hosted by Stephanie. Picture of Stephanie inside a circle. Stephanie has long curly hair, with a black blouse, and is wearing glasses.
[Visual Description] Now we see Stephanie sitting down on a chair with striped materials. The background is grey greenish color. There’s a lamp on the left side.
[Stephanie] We will be interviewing a pharmacist. Often, we go to our pharmacy and aren't sure what to ask our pharmacist about whether it is okay to take certain medications with our current treatments. We assume they know everything because they work directly with medications. Let's find out what kind of questions we should be asking or what the pharmacist wishes we would ask them I am honored to have Dr. Kelsey Alderks with us. Please tell me about yourself. How long have you been a pharmacist?
[Visual Description] Two women sitting down on a grey couch. On the left is an interpreter wearing a black shirt with dark grey plaid pants. On the right, we see Dr. Kelsy Alderks, a pharmacist. She has blonde hair, wearing glasses, and wearing a teal dress. The background is a grey greenish color. There’s a lamp on the right side of Dr. Alderks.
[Dr. Alderks] My name is Kelsey Alderks. I am originally from Northern Illinois. I moved to Saint Louis about five years ago, and I have been a pharmacist for 12 years, and have worked in a pharmacy for 16 years.
[Stephanie] What is the role of a pharmacist?
[Dr. Alderks] There are a lot of different things that your pharmacist does. A lot of things people don't think about. So, we do dispense medication which is typically what you expect when you think of a pharmacist. But also we look at all of your diseases, we assess your vaccinations, and the most important thing we do is look at drug-to-drug interactions and help prevent any problems that might come from those.
[Stephanie] What made you decide to learn sign language?
[Dr. Alderks] When I was at pharmacy school in Des Moines, I worked at a Target and my pharmacist was deaf. She was the manager. Her name was Bethany, and I was her technician or assistant for the six years that I was in school. So, I was so impressed with how she connected with her customers and how amazing the entire sign language (deaf) world was. And I finished school being a pharmacist. But since then, I want to kind of marry those two things that I love the most. So, signing and medication.
[Stephanie] Why is it important for a person to communicate with their pharmacist?
[Dr. Alderks] Just like you, as the patient, assume that the pharmacist knows everything. We assume that you understand the complex part of medication and it's not always that simple. It is so important to tell your pharmacist how you're feeling, the side effects you experience, any other medical conditions, or especially if you're using another pharmacy so that we can look at the problem as a whole and not miss any holes that might affect your health moving forward.
[Stephanie] What type of questions do you wish Deaf, Hard of Hearing, and DeafBlind individuals would ask a pharmacist when they are undergoing treatment for cancer?
[Dr. Alderks] I wish they were honest about how the medication made them feel and ask how we can improve it. A lot of medications, while they're there to help you feel better. They have side effects that can make taking them hard. So if they were as open and honest about it, about “I'm nauseous”, “I can't sleep” or other problems you're experiencing. And they asked about that. We could make it a lot easier. You just don't know what you don't know. Communicating with a hearing person is often a challenge for the Deaf, Hard of Hearing, and DeafBlind people, as well as understanding medical terminology, or even remembering the long name of a medication.
[Stephanie] How would you suggest us communicate with our pharmacist?
[Dr. Alderks] I think the best way to go about that is to make sure your pharmacist knows that you are deaf or hard of hearing so that they can plan for extra time to go over everything about the medication with you. It's important to not take the pamphlet home that comes with the medication, that lists all the scary side effects with it, and read that on your own. It can be very overwhelming. The words are hard to understand, but rather if your pharmacist knows that you need extra time with them to explain what's happening with their medication, they can make it more concise for you to understand and then have that relationship and they can spend more time and make you a priority so that your medication you can stay on for your health.
[Stephanie] Is it okay for a person to go to any pharmacy store to pick up medicine, or should we stay with one company? Why?
[Dr. Alderks] It's very important when you can to get all of your medications at the same pharmacy because our computers don't all connect. And let's say you're picking up a medication for blood pressure one place or chemo at another, they might interact and cause you to have a harmful episode coming up. Your pharmacist won't know that. Same thing with over-the-counter vitamins, herbs, and supplements. They're all very important to make sure your pharmacist is aware to prevent any drug-to-drug interactions, so sticking with one pharmacist is the only way to do it.
[Stephanie] Why do pharmacists sometimes disagree with a medication prescription and call the doctor to change it? Why cannot they just accept what the doctor prescribes and fill it?
[Dr. Alderks] I like to explain that to people because it gets asked a lot, especially if you come up to the counter, a pharmacy counter, and you're frustrated that your medication isn't ready and we tell you, “Hey, I'm waiting for the doctor to change it or fix it.” I like to explain it the way in an education system, the principal knows a lot about a lot of different things, but the Special Ed teacher knows everything there is to know about special education. Same way with doctors and pharmacists. We are the medication experts. We spent our entire school, all six years learning about that. We know it in and out. Doctors don't have as much time spent with medication because they're also learning diagnosis and how to treat and how to look at wounds and stuff like that. So they are so knowledgeable, so helpful. However, there are times when they make a choice or send over a dose that we just have more education behind. And it's really a collaborative effort when we get there to make sure we make the best choice for you as a patient.
[Stephanie] Should they ask you questions like does my medication interact with any other medicines, supplements or food?
[Dr. Alderks] Yes. Vitamins, supplements, herbs. All important to make sure your pharmacist knows you're taking. But I think the most important one that you just said is food. So many medications can interact with food or are better absorbed with different kinds of food. So going through your diet, although it takes a longer time to stand at the counter and talk through, can really help make sure you feel the best when you're on medications that might not always initially start that way.
[Stephanie] Should we ask our pharmacist which over-the-counter medicine is safe when going through chemo or radiation?
[Dr. Alderks] Definitely. Chemo and radiation. Chemo, specifically, are very strong medication. They're not something that's light or delicate on your body. So, anything over the counter, it could be the baby aspirin. Something very simple could wreak havoc after you're on chemo. So again, open communication with your pharmacist is so important. They are usually more accessible than getting a hold of your doctor right away.
[Stephanie] Should they tell you they have cancer?
[Dr. Alderks] Yes. Please make sure to tell your pharmacist if you have cancer or any other more simple health conditions in your past, like high blood pressure, high cholesterol, all of these things can change how effective your medication is and help make your process to healing better.
[Stephanie] Any advice you would like to share with us?
[Dr. Alderks] Definitely. If you are Deaf, Hard of Hearing or DeafBlind, please make sure you tell your pharmacist that so that we can make sure we spend the necessary time with you, give you the right resources so that you can stay on your meds. And we can make sure we get you to your right health goal. The other part of it is to find a pharmacist that you know and trust. The better we know you, and the longer we have that relationship, the better health we're going to get for you in the end. Thank you. Again, my name is Dr. Kelsey Alderkss. Bye, everyone.
[Stephanie] WOW! What wonderful information! I have learned some new things. Thank you for taking time out of your busy schedule to be interviewed by us. This information will help Deaf, Hard of Hearing, and DeafBlind individuals communicate better with their pharmacists. If you have any more questions or need more support, please contact your pharmacist or reach out to us at Pink Wings of Hope.
[Visual Description] Deaf Organizations Fund Logo - This program, material or resource is supported by Deaf Organizations Fund (DOF). The content is solely the responsibility of the author(s) and does not necessarily represent the official views of DOF. For more information, visit www.DeafOrganizationsFund.org.
[Visual Description] Closing Slide: The Cocoon is a vlog series brought to you by Pink Wings of Hope, a program of DEAF, Inc. - www.deafinc.org/pink