Photo by Michelle Hoffee

 

HEALTH EMPOWERMENT RESOURCES

Joe Gartner R.Ph. Nationally Certified Menopause Educator

I have been speaking to a wide variety of audiences about pharmacy and health care issues for the last 30 years.  I have always believed that an educated health care consumer is a healthier person.  Time has since validated my belief.

My goal is to provide information to empower people to get involved in making decisions about their own health care choices.  Therefore, the name--Health Empowerment Resources.

While I have spoken about many health issues over the years, my specialty for the last 20 years has been hormone replacement therapy.  Today the treatment of menopause is  becoming a huge industry. The medical establishment, the alternative health establishment, and everyone in between cannot ignore the huge demographics of "boomers going through the change".

And here I am with yet another opinion.  It’s impossible for anyone commenting on health care issues to say that they are completely free of bias. The same can be said of me, so here's what you should know about me:

 

Having been a pharmacist schooled in a traditional medical environment, I have respect for a well-controlled clinical study.

 

Having practiced in an inner-city neighborhood health center, I have learned that there are many inequities in the health care system.

 

Having practiced in community pharmacies for almost 30 years, I am partial to working in a small setting and to working with people on a one-to-one basis.

 

Having practiced as a compounding pharmacist specializing in women’s hormones for the last 20 years, I believe that hormone replacement therapy is not a case of "one size fits all" .

 

Having volunteered as a pharmacist in a prescription drug abuse program for women, I am well aware of how the drug companies target women in many of their ads.

 

Having volunteered as a pharmacist with CalPIRG, a consumer protection group, I am sensitive to the needs of consumers and somewhat skeptical of the workings of large drug companies.  I have learned that it is usually unnecessary to spend extra for brand names instead of generics or the nutritional supplement "du jour", which has little to back up its claims other than the testimony of some celebrity.

 

Having been raised by a mother who thought that five servings a day of fruits and vegetables was sacrosanct and having been a vegetarian for some time, I am well aware of the importance of diet in preventing disease.

Now you know where I am coming from. I’d like this Web site to reflect the many one-on-one conversations that I’ve had with women over the years.  In pharmacy, we have much more contact with women than men.  Woman see the doctor more often than men (whether a gynecologist or their child's pediatrician); women are more likely to pick up the family’s medicine at the pharmacy; and  women are more apt to be considered the doctor in the family.  It is no accident that in most TV ads for medicine, it is usually the woman who is going to the medicine cabinet for their spouse or child.

The subject of menopause covers a lot of territory.  On my Web site, I am going to concentrate on what I know best, the subject of hormone replacement therapy (HRT). Whether  the hormones are from everyday foods, dietary supplements, or prescriptions, this site will provide you with up-to-date information on their use.  I scan journal articles weekly,   and I listen to women's concerns about HRT on a daily basis.  My hope is that GoodPharma.com will provide the information you need to help you make informed decisions about hormones and hormone replacement therapy.

                                                                              Joe

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