Interview with GeriatRx Founder DeLon Canterbury, PharmD, BCGP
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Today\\u2019s episode is an interview with Dr. DeLon Canterbury.\\xa0 DeLon is a Board Certified Geriatric Pharmacist.\\xa0 He founded GeriatRx, a telehealth-based senior care consulting company.\\xa0 GeriatRx combines Pharmacogenomic testing and Comprehensive Medication Management, and addresses the social determinants of health, such as food, shelter, financial stability, and health literacy.\\xa0 He helps patients who are struggling to achieve their healthcare goals and lowers their healthcare expenses. By reducing medication errors and advocating for deprescribing, consultant pharmacists like DeLon improve patient safety and save patients, their families, and the healthcare system money.\\xa0 DeLon manages patients across the state of North Carolina and demonstrates the value pharmacists add to healthcare delivery. \\xa0
DeLon embodies servant-leadership and places it at the forefront of GeriatRx.\\xa0 He is an active Executive Board Member for the African-American Minority COVID Task Force in Durham, North Carolina, a Formulary Committee member of Senior PharmAssist at the Durham Senior Center for Life,\\xa0 and served as Community Health Coalition\\u2019s Telehealth Director, helping older African-American patients with wellness and reassurance check-ups during COVID.\\xa0
Social Media
Website:\\xa0www.geriatrx.org
Instagram:\\xa0https://www.geriatrx.org/
Linkedin:\\xa0https://www.linkedin.com/in/geriatrx
Twitter:\\xa0https://twitter.com/GeriatRx
Facebook:\\xa0https://www.facebook.com/GeriatRxInc
Media Features
ABC11- Durham Pharmacist believes local pharmacies are key to expediting COVID-19 vaccine rollout
https://abc11.com/covid-19-vaccine-near-me-nc-durham-pharmacies-with-gurleys/9825901/
WRAL \\u2013 Dispelling COVI19 Myths within the African-American Community
https://www.wral.com/local-expert-dispels-covid-19-vaccine-myths/19479868/
Spectrum News- St. Joseph\\u2019s COVID19 Panel
CBS17 \\u2013 St. Joseph\\u2019s COVID19 Panel
Shoutout Atlanta Magazine
St. Joseph\\u2019s AME COVID Panel
https://www.facebook.com/watch/?v=2738280473089807
The Melanin MD
https://www.instagram.com/p/CG0KvShBqP9/
Self-Achievement Network
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WfA0ZIvtVdU&t=10s
Joy Revolution with Marc Cordon
https://joyrevolution.com/goldenmicpodcast-2/
RxRounds: Medications Use in the Elderly
https://www.rxrounds.com/medication-use-in-the-elderly/
RxRounds: Fighting Flu Season
https://www.rxrounds.com/fighting-flu-season/
Highlights from the interview
After serving as a pharmacy manager for 7 years, DeLon didn\\u2019t feel he was helping patients like he wanted to.\\xa0 Advocacy work helped DeLon get his fire back. \\xa0
GeriatRx is a pharmacist-led company that focuses on MTM.\\xa0 DeLon has a home office.\\xa0 His patients have concerns and issues managing medication (not just elderly).\\xa0 He has saved 20 patients more than $150,000 in healthcare costs.
DeLon shared a story about helping an elderly female patient who was taking 36 medications.\\xa0 She was like a walking zombie, and her family wanted to institutionalize her.\\xa0 GeriatRx served as a medical expert in court, identified medications that were on the Beers list, and attested that the patient was overmedicated.\\xa0 Using a team-based approach over time, DeLon helped deprescribe the medication list from 36 to 8.\\xa0 The patient\\u2019s quality of life improved, and she remained out of an institution.\\xa0 DeLon communicated well with the team, educated the patient and prescribers, earned trust from the patient and prescribers, and followed up in order to get the results the patient needed.\\xa0 This experience made DeLon want to help more people!
Incomplete comprehensive medication reviews (CMR\\u2019s) lead to problems. \\xa0 When products are not listed on the CMR, no one knows the patient is on them.\\xa0 As a result, additional meds are prescribed to counteract side effects from products that are not on the CMR.
DeLon experienced a gradual shift from full-time community practice to full-time consultant.\\xa0 He wanted to have his own consulting practice for years.\\xa0 2 years ago (~2019), he started planning. \\xa0
DeLon worked as a poison center pharmacist briefly after leaving full-time community practice.\\xa0 He helped with the COVID helpline in North Carolina, worked long hours, trained students and staff, and answered a large volume of calls. \\xa0
Working at the poison information center sparked DeLon\\u2019s interest in advocating for minority communities to get the COVID vaccination.\\xa0 DeLon felt called to help.\\xa0 He has opportunities to volunteer whereas full-time pharmacists working in traditional settings do not [have opportunities to volunteer]. \\xa0
DeLon talked about myths and skepticism surrounding the COVID-19 vaccine.\\xa0 Some think they are immune because they are young or healthy.\\xa0 Some do not believe that the vaccine is the same for all people regardless of color or job title.\\xa0
Some refuse vaccination due to a lack of trust.\\xa0 DeLon referenced historical events that led to mistrust among minority communities, including population control and the Tuskegee Experiment involving African Americans in Alabama who had untreated syphilis.\\xa0
Misinformation is out there, and it needs to be addressed.\\xa0 DeLon participates in panels as a speaker in North Carolina Communities.\\xa0 He likes to meet the audience where they are, and have a conversation.\\xa0 DeLon asks the audience,\\xa0
\\u201cWhat\\u2019s holding you back from getting the vaccine?\\u201d\\xa0
\\u201cHow many people know someone who got COVID?\\u201d\\xa0
\\u201cHow many people know someone who died from COVID?\\u201d \\xa0
\\u201cHow many people have died from getting the vaccine?\\u201d \\xa0
He is empathetic, but he also states the facts.\\xa0 DeLon recommends meeting people where they are, being empathetic, addressing fears and questions, using everyday language, and making points clear.\\xa0 Furthermore, DeLon recommends making no assumptions about what people know; start from scratch.\\xa0 DeLon has been on news to share how the vaccination will help.\\xa0\\xa0
DeLon joined a Toastmasters Club to improve his communication skills.\\xa0 Although his is already an excellent communicator, he struggles with the voice in the back of his head that tells him he is not a good communicator.\\xa0 Toastmasters helped DeLon with networking, building relationships, being aware of saying \\u201ccrutch words\\u201d (such as, \\u201cUm, like, and so), and getting immediate feedback through evaluations.\\xa0 He is working on his Dynamic Speaker Pathway.\\xa0 DeLon\\u2019s Facebook LIVE broadcasts have helped him improve his communication skills too. \\xa0
DeLon recommends pharmacists volunteer [doing something different] to gain experience, join organizations, and network.\\xa0 In his parting comments, he said, \\u201cDo something that makes you uncomfortable until you love it!\\u201d
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