Interview with Dr. Lauren Castle, Functional Medicine Pharmacist
Today\u2019s episode is an interview with Dr. Lauren Castle, a Functional Medicine Pharmacist.\xa0 She is also Functional Medicine advocate, and she educates pharmacists about integrating Functional Medicine into the profession of pharmacy.\xa0 We also talk about motorcycles in this episode!\xa0
Mentioned in this episode
IG: @fmpha
FB: @fmpha.org
Twitter: @fmphaorg
LinkedIn: www.linkedin.com/company/fmpha\xa0
IG: @drlaurencastle
FB: @drlaurencastle
Twitter: @drlaurencastle
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/drlaurencastle/
FXMedCE is a great resource for CE and a good place to get started/learn the basics.
Podcast Snap Podcast Consulting Service (Founder Mike Lenz, RPh/voice actor/podcast host)
Dave Jackson and the School of Podcasting
*My affiliate link* School of Podcasting monthly membership
PharmaSis Magazine featuring Dr. Lauren Castle
OPA (Ohio Pharmacists Association)
MPA (Michigan Pharmacists Association)\xa0
Motorcycle Safety Foundation \u201cMotorcycle Ohio\u201d Basic Rider Course
Dr. Lauren Castle PharmD, MS is the founder of the Functional Medicine Pharmacists Alliance (FMPhA), and she works as a Market Health and Wellness Director for Walmart in Dayton, OH.
She earned her Doctor of Pharmacy Degree from Ohio Northern University in 2013 and her Master of Science in Human Nutrition and Functional Medicine from University of Western States in 2018.
Lauren began her career as a technician for an independent pharmacy in Monroe, MI before moving to Dayton, OH and joining Walmart 9 years ago as an intern. Upon graduating, she spent three years as a Pharmacy Manager in Springfield, OH; Livonia, MI; and Flint, MI before becoming a Pharmacy Clinical Services Manager in the Metro Detroit area. In 2017, she returned to Ohio as a Market Health and Wellness Director for 11 Walmart stores. In 2019, she was selected to attend the Walmart Shareholders Meeting as a social media champion. She has also completed a special project assignment on nutrition initiatives in Health and Wellness at Walmart\u2019s Home Office in Bentonville, AR.
Upon discovering functional medicine in 2015, Lauren began sharing her passion through speaking engagements at the local, state, and national level. Realizing the lack of resources for pharmacists in this emerging field, she founded the Functional Medicine Pharmacists Alliance (FMPhA) in 2017. The goal of the Functional Medicine Pharmacists Alliance is to unite pharmacists, practitioners, patients, and organizations in its mission to integrate pharmacists into the practice of Functional Medicine, and Functional Medicine into profession of pharmacy.\xa0
Lauren lives with her husband Seth and their two cats, Olive and Pickle.\xa0 Together, they enjoy attending concerts, traveling, and riding motorcycles.\xa0 Lauren currently has a 2017 Harley Davidson Low Rider S. \xa0
Highlights from the interview
Lauren is an advocate for Functional Medicine.\xa0 She is not seeing patients privately at this time.\xa0 In previous years, she worked as a community pharmacist seeing patients.\xa0 That\u2019s when she discovered Functional Medicine Pharmacy and started layering it into patient consultations.\xa0
What problem do Functional Medicine Pharmacists (FMPh\u2019s) solve for their patients?\xa0 FMPh\u2019s find how health problems start by looking at the root cause(s).\xa0 It\u2019s like a puzzle.\xa0 \u201cPuzzle piecing with patients to see the big picture.\u201d\xa0
Two health conditions Functional Medicine Pharmacists can address are diabetes and autoimmune thyroid disease.
One resource Functional Medicine Pharmacists like to use is Natural Medicines Database.\xa0
Functional Medicine Pharmacists optimize patients\u2019 medication and supplement regiments with nutrition, fitness, and lifestyle choices.\xa0 You don\u2019t have to get patients off all meds.\xa0 Instead, ensure medications match indications and are being used appropriately.\xa0 Once health conditions are under control, de-prescribing in a safe way may be possible.
Functional Medicine Pharmacists are team players.\xa0 They work together with other providers.
The Functional Medicine Pharmacists Alliance started as a Facebook group after an Ohio Pharmacists Association (OPA) CE presentation and grew from 15 members to 1,500 members in 3 years.\xa0 In 2020, a Membership site was launched.\xa0 Visit www.fmpha.org for resources, discounts, CE, conference information, and [in the future] in-person retreats.
Lauren also does public speaking outside FMPhA.\xa0 Examples include OPA, MPA, online conferences, and podcasts. \xa0
Who joins FMPhA?\xa0 The target market is pharmacists.\xa0 It\u2019s a professional pharmacist organization.\xa0 Pharmacists can learn skills, network with other pharmacists, and get help that is needed to start a Functional Medicine Pharmacy Practice. \xa0
Before they encounter the Functional Medicine Pharmacists Alliance, pharmacists wonder, \u201cHow do I do this as a pharmacist?\u201d\xa0 Once they connect, they feel like they have found their tribe!\xa0 They connect with other FMPh\u2019s, talk about FMPh, and get excited about doing FMPh.
Lauren creates an inclusive environment with FMPhA.\xa0 Pharmacists need education and best practices.\xa0 She welcomes them and meets their needs.\xa0 They can network, learn about business, hear about events, etc.
Lauren is a motorcycle rider!\xa0 Her current bike is a 2017 Harley Davidson Low Rider S.\xa0 Her previous two bikes were a 2015 H-D Sportster and a 1974 KZ400 Cafe Racer Bike.\xa0 Lauren feels it\u2019s critical for pharmacists to have hobbies.\xa0 Hobbies help prevent burnout.\xa0 Burnout can even happen when doing too much stuff you love.\xa0 She loves to be outside and ride with her husband.\xa0 Lauren learned to ride by participating in a Motorcycle Safety Foundation course.\xa0 The hardest part was learning the friction point (clutch). \xa0