Hello fellow readers,
Our blog has been moved. We will be updating on our new blog every week. Here is the link: https://dirtypills.wordpress.com/
Thank you.
Get the unbiased perspective on your pharmacy Find out what goes on behind the scenes. Get the inside scoop. Understand your pharmacy, your medications and your worst nemesis; prescription insurance.
Monday, July 13, 2015
Thursday, July 9, 2015
Friday, June 26, 2015
Diabetic neuropathy—the agony of da feet
Diabetes accounts for about 70,000 lower-limb amputations in the United States each year. People tend to think of diabetes as a silent, painless condition. Millions of diabetic patients may have tingling toes or painful feet. This problem is called diabetic neuropathy which can range from merely aggravating to disabling or even life threatening. High blood sugar, the hallmark of diabetes, injures nerves and blood vessels throughout the body. The first nerves to be affected tend to be the smallest ones furthest from the spinal cord—the feet. Diabetic neuropathy can cause a constant burning feeling in the feet; sharp pain that may be worse at night. When sensory nerves in the feet become damaged, a blister, cut, or sore can go unnoticed, allowing time for the wound to become infected.
While there is no cure for diabetic neuropathy, there are ways to cope with it:
1) Stay active- exercise improves blood flow to the feet.
2) Slim down- this improves blood sugar and takes extra weight off the feet.
3) Prescription creams can be compounded to relieve the pain and increase blood flow to the area.
Do you have diabetic neuropathy? How do you deal with it? We want to hear from you.
Do you have diabetic neuropathy? How do you deal with it? We want to hear from you.
Cheryl-Pharmacist
Thursday, June 25, 2015
Men Have Menopause Too
Have you ever overheard an individual saying to their male spouse, "Are you going through menopause"? Usually it is followed by a laugh. While many will laugh about male menopause, it is real. Many doctors refer to male menopause as andropause, which is a decline of testosterone. Men often experience fatigue, depression, and sexual problems. It is known that the male menopause is quite different than women, as the testosterone slowly decreases. It is surprising to hear that an 80 year old male can still make sperm. The male menopause is a slow process, which begins to occur in their mid-40's. There is a main treatment used and symptoms that come with male menopause.
Symptoms of Andropause:
- Depression
- Fatigue
- Weight Gain
- Memory Less
- Thinning Hair
- Weakness
- Sexual Problems
- Thinning Hair
- Hormone Replacement Therapy: helps relieve symptoms including lack of sexual interest, depression and fatigue
- If Testosterone is low, testosterone replacement therapy helps balance and relieve several symptoms
We've Learned Three Things:
- Male menopause is known as androgen which is the decline of testosterone.
- Symptoms of andropause include depression, fatigue, thinning hair, memory loss, and weight gain to name a few.
- A treatment of andropause consists of hormone replacement therapy which helps relive many of the symptoms.
Everyone experiences different symptoms from andropause. Tells us how you deal with andropause and what symptoms you get. We want to hear from you.
Jennie-Your Undercover Everything Pharmacy
Friday, June 19, 2015
PMS: I love you. Actually I really hate you.
Symptoms of PMS:

- Anxiety
- Cramps
- Acne
- Depression
- Crying
- Mood swings
- Insomnia
- Muscle Pain
- Headache
- Weight Gain
- Breast Tenderness
- Diarrhea

PMS relief:
- Heating Pad
- Tylenol
- Red Meat: Helps Boost Iron
- Chocolate: Contains Magnesium and Releases Serotonin
- Fruit:
- Bananas
- Kale
- Spinach
- Eggs
- Whole Grains
Ways to deal with PMS during Menopause:

- HRT: Hormone Replacement Therapy replaces the hormones that your body is not able to make once you start menopause
- Why do you need Estrogen? Estrogen controls how your body absorbs calcium and raises good/bad cholesterol
- Why do you need Progesterone? If you take Estrogen without progesterone, you risk developing cancer of the lining of the uterus
- Often people with menopause use HRT to balance out their hormone
We've Learned Three Things:
- PMS occurs during pregnancy, before period, and menopause which includes symptoms such as stomach pain, headache insomnia, and diarrhea just to name a few
- There are specific foods that can help lessen PMS symptoms such as chocolate, red meat, kale, and bananas
- You can balance out the hormones from menopausal symptoms using HRT medications such as estrogen and progesterone
Every person's symptoms are different and there are a hundred ways to sooth them. We would love to hear your stories, tips and tricks. From grandma's cramp-relief parsley tea to your prescription Tylenol, how do you manage your symptoms of PMS?
Jennie-Your Undercover Everything Pharmacy
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Wednesday, June 10, 2015
Migraines:Some pres Ways to lessen the Pain

When I was a senior in high school, I would have miserable migraine episodes. At the time, I wasn't aware that it was a medical condition I was suffering from.When they came on I was extremely dizzy. It felt as though the room was spinning and I was helpless to stop it. Constant dizzy spells made me nauseous. Some days I could barely move without feeling like I was on a boat. I would get nauseous and rush to the restroom and throw up constantly. After I threw up, my dizziness would lessen. Then, I would sleep for a few hours. After I had slept, I would feel normal and fine. They only happened every other day at first, but it didn't take long for them to be every day aggravation. One day right when I got home, I could tell an episode was coming on strong. I barely got into the kitchen before I was on the floor from the dizziness. I could not move.
It was obvious I needed to see a neurologist. The following day, I went in and explained my issues. The doctor explained to me that I was having migraine episodes. My migraines were most likely triggered by my diet and stress. I found out that I was eating things like ham, which has nitrates in it, that can trigger migraines. He explained that I would need to take a medication every single day for the rest of my life to prevent the episodes. The upside was, once the medication had been absorbed in my body after a few days, I rarely had migraines. It is no surprise that I am prone to migraines since my father's mother had migraines as well. While I rarely have a migraine, I still get headaches. I use the best home remedies for my headaches that I have been able to figure out. Most of the time my headaches are gone if I take Advil with coffee or a caffeinated drink. My headaches do not come close to how bad my migraines were. The migraine medication made such a difference in my life and gave me the ability to function on a daily basis.
I am NOT my migraines! I believe it is important to educate others about them and the ways to prevent them. There are a surprising number of ways to alleviate or prevent migraines right at home.
- Prescription or over the counter drugs may be a good alternative if there appears to be no help from other options.
- WebMD explains the importance of caffeine for migraine patients, "Caffeine is a common ingredient in many prescription and over-the-counter headache medications. Caffeine additives make pain relievers 40% more effective in treating headaches."
- It is important to note that caffeine helps the body absorb migraine and headache drugs quicker which in result brings helps relieves the migraine quicker.
We also offer a medication here at Woodland Hills Pharmacy that might be right for you. Lidocaine nasal spray is often used to stop migraines and cluster headaches within minutes after they occur. This medication relives the pain of the migraine quickly after used. If you have any questions, feel free to call or e-mail us at Woodland Hills Pharmacy and we would love to relieve your migraines.
Jennie-Your Undercover For Everything Pharmacy
Thursday, May 28, 2015
Walk off Your Symptoms of MS
What is MS?

- There are four types of MS: relapsing-remitting, secondary-progressive, primary progressive and progressive relapsing.
- About 85 percent of those who are newly diagnosed have the relapsing-remitting form of MS.
- The disease is unpredictable, and each individual will not experience the same set of symptoms.
- Without disease-modifying therapy, about 50 percent of those diagnosed with relapsing-remitting MS will become progressively worse at 10 years after diagnosis.

Though, as of yet, there aren't any permanent solutions for the symptoms of MS, great strides have been made in recent years in the development of new treatment options. Ampyra (dalfampridine) another form of fampridine (4-Aminopyradine) has shown exceedingly good results for those with walking difficulties due to MS. Low-Dose Naltrexone may also be helpful, as the National MS Society reports:
"The investigators found that LDN significantly improved quality of life (specifically, mental health, pain and self-reported cognitive function), but no impact was observed on aspects of physical quality of life (such as fatigue, bowel and bladder control, sexual satisfaction, and visual function). Vivid dreaming was reported during the first week of treatment by some patients, but no other adverse effects were reported."
(http://www.nationalmssociety.org/Treating-MS/Complementary-Alternative-Medicines/Low-Dose-Naltrexone)
Karli- Your undercover technician for everything pharmacy
Have you found something that relieves the pain? Help us understand your symptoms and find more answers. Comment below!
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Tuesday, May 19, 2015
Bleed Purple For Lupus Awareness
Purple is an incredibly unique color. The most beautiful flowers in my opinion are a deep dark violet color. I had a purple wedding dress because I adore the color. How can you not? Purple isn't just unique and beautiful it's a symbol. It represents lupus awareness.This month is lupus awareness, so to show your support you could educate yourself and others about lupus and don't forget to wear purple! 1.5 million Americans currently have Lupus. Lupus is an autoimmune disease that can possibly damage any of part of your body including skin, joints and organs. An autoimmune diseases suggest that your immune system does not know the difference between evil invaders and your healthy tissues. Generally, women ages 15-44 get lupus, but men,children, and teenagers can get lupus as well. Lupus symptoms can last for several years and it can be hard to diagnose as the symptoms mimic minor illnesses.
- Fatigue
- Fever
- Joint Pain
- Stiffness
- Dry Eyes
- Headaches
- Butterfly-Shaped Rash On Face
- Fingers and Toes turn white or blue when exposed to cold or stressful periods
- Chest Pain
- Shortness of Breath

There are a variety of different medications that can help with signs of lupus disease.
- Low Dose Naltrexone (LDN) is used to treat symptoms of lupus disease including fatigue, muscle pain, and joint pain. LDN helps the immune system, lowers the inflammation, and releases natural endorphins.
- Quinacrine is an Antimalarial medication used to treat lupus and rheumatoid arthritis symptoms. Quinacrine reduces inflammation and helps control skin rash in people who have lupus. This medication also may help releive muscle, joint pain, fatigue, and fever.
- Chloroquine is an Antimalarial medication used to treat Lupus and rheumatoid arthritis symptoms. This medication treats auto-immune diseases to help suppress over activity in the immune system and limits inflammation. It also helps reduce signs and symptoms of Lupus such as pain and swelling.
- Hydroxychlorquine is an Antimalarial medication used to treat symptoms of rheumatoid arthritis and lupus. This medication is used to decrease the symptoms of lupus. It helps relieve inflammation, swelling, stiffness, and joint pain.
These medications help lupus disease patients stay healthy and cope with their disease. If you are looking for these types of medications, or someone to speak with, the staff at Woodland Hills Pharmacy might be a good place to start!www.WoodlandHillsPharmacy.com/contact_us
Jennie-Your Undercover For Everything Pharmacy
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Tuesday, May 12, 2015
Balance Your Hormones, Balance Your Life!
The big question: Are my hormones imbalanced?
It's nearly impossible to really know if you have a hormonal imbalance. Women all over the United States are concerned about their personal hormone levels. Since 2012 the number of women using hormone replacement therapy has increased by 15 million. But how do you know if your hormones are imbalanced? Is a doctor's visit entirely necessary to know that you may need to supplement your hormone production?

Just waking up in the morning can be a chore with imbalanced Hormones. A replacement therapy can make the difference between talking to loved ones, having confidence, and being success or curling up into an insecure, tired ball. When you finally realize it may not be normal to be dealing with these symptoms, it's like taking a breath of fresh air. Things that seemed so difficult to handle become a breeze. Women and men can benefit from hormonal replacement therapy, so all you men out there are included in this as well. It is often hard to tell if your hormones are imbalanced. You may want to see a healthcare professional to narrow it down but you will be able to make a good guess at whether or not you are imbalanced from a few common symptoms. The list below is the various symptoms women and men may receive from hormone imbalance
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The list below explains the benefits of hormone replacement therapy for men and women.
You are a beautiful capable woman with the right to a healthy body, mind and soul. So many women believe that the hand they are dealt is the hand they are stuck with, when the real solution is out there just waiting to be found. Some supplement companies advertise products that can help with hormonal changes or Menopause. Though there may be some help to a few vitamin deficient individuals, for the majority of the world an imbalance can only be solved by a hormonal replacement therapy regiment.
With this in mind, your doctor can be a huge help to your hormonal health. I know it can be tough to muster up the courage to talk to a professional about your body, but with a caring doctor and a good understanding between you, you can have the best of what life can offer.
Karli-Your Undercover technician for everything pharmacy
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Wednesday, May 6, 2015
Take A Bite Out Of Lyme
We all love limes. They're great for cocktails and squeezed over rare meats. But it can also remind us of an important awareness. Take a Bite of Lyme is a wonderful trend going around to raise awareness for Lyme disease. Woodland Hills Pharmacy has been nominated to participate in the Lyme Disease Challenge! We would like to spread the word and nominate Jennifer Braunersrither, Tamara Bowen, Judy Advent and Zannie Liska!
Show your support and take a bit out of Lyme!
Judy's Story


There are a variety of different medications that can help with signs of Lyme disease.
- Low Dose Naltrexone (LDN) is used to treat symptoms of Lyme disease including fatigue, muscle pain, and joint pain. LDN helps the immune system, lowers the inflammation, and releases natural endorphins. Borrelia burgodoferi releases a neurotoxin that is responsible for the symptoms that Lyme disease patients exhibits.
- Cholestyramine binds the neurotoxin in the GI for excretion which over time reduces the symptoms to one's body.
- Glutathione nasal spray helps Lyme disease patients replenish their cells with desperately needed Glutathione proteins.
Lyme Disease Awareness Month
May is Lyme disease awareness month. Lyme disease organizations hold events as well as individuals all over the world are posting online in support of Lyme disease. The challenge consists of taking a picture or video taking a bite out of a lime, and posting a fact about Lyme disease. It is essential that we raise awareness about Lyme disease and it's symptoms. "Just by protecting yourself from ticks." Judy explains how to guard against the disease and why it's so prevalent, "The area in which I live has a high rate of Lyme disease because we live in a heavily wooded area with lots of deer roaming around." It is important to be educated and support Lyme disease awareness. So do yourself a favor and take a bite of lime and join the Lyme Disease Awareness movement!Jennie- Undercover For Your Everything Pharmacy
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Wednesday, April 29, 2015
You Have Been Rejected!
Rejection Is Never Fun
Boys can be cruel but being rejected by your prescription plan can be wose. There are a few little trick that can help.
Let's say you call up your local pharmacy and give them your insurance information. The customer service representative usually tells you that they will call you back to let you know if your insurance goes through. And of course when the calls comes, they tell you that your insurance rejected your request for coverage. The customer service representative proceeds to tell you that if you want to pay out of pocket the cost is $100.
There you are thinking of every expletive in your vocabulary that you could possibly fling at the money grubbing companies that put such a hih price on vital medications. They must know you cannot afford to pay it. The pharmacist will get an ear full from you but what will that help? What can he do? It's your insurance company that doesn't care about your well being. How could they? It's like that costly insurance bill you pay every month doesn't mean anything to them. You were just rejected by them and they don't even know anything about you. All you are is numbers on a page and dollar signs that are too low for them to care.
Pharmacy technicians deal with insurance rejection constantly. Calling that sweet old lady to tell her the $100+ prescription isn't covered is possibly the worst part of the job. As we are a compound pharmacy, sometime insurance companies do not cover compound medications. Our pharmacy does its best to work with the patients and the insurance companies to find the best possible solution. It always helps to understand the full process when there are so many parties involved. Here's what we do in a few easy steps.
Once the pharmacy receive the prescription from the doctor's office we call the patient to get more information. We alway need to have:

Once we enter their insurance information into the system, we will get an acceptance or rejection. Depending on the reason for rejection, we either call the patient or the insurance. If our rejection states it is because it is a compound there is nothing we can do and the medication will have to be paid out of pocket. Patients often have the misconception that pharmacy technicians do not care if a patient's medication is covered. We know the importance of having the proper medications to treat illnesses and diseases. And it's in our best interest as well as our patients' to try to get the prescription covered. We strive for a good relationship with our patients and we don't want you to pay more than you have to. I know first hand the importance of having the right medications because I have struggled to get my medication covered as well. It's infuriating when the medication to make your life so much better is only accessible at a very high price. One of our pharmacy technicians has explained to me that she never enjoys telling a patient their meds won't be covered.
Once the pharmacy receive the prescription from the doctor's office we call the patient to get more information. We alway need to have:
- name(confirm spelling)
- phone
- date of birth
- physical address
- allergies to medications (if any)

- BIN
- PCN
- ID
- GROUP
Once we enter their insurance information into the system, we will get an acceptance or rejection. Depending on the reason for rejection, we either call the patient or the insurance. If our rejection states it is because it is a compound there is nothing we can do and the medication will have to be paid out of pocket. Patients often have the misconception that pharmacy technicians do not care if a patient's medication is covered. We know the importance of having the proper medications to treat illnesses and diseases. And it's in our best interest as well as our patients' to try to get the prescription covered. We strive for a good relationship with our patients and we don't want you to pay more than you have to. I know first hand the importance of having the right medications because I have struggled to get my medication covered as well. It's infuriating when the medication to make your life so much better is only accessible at a very high price. One of our pharmacy technicians has explained to me that she never enjoys telling a patient their meds won't be covered.
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Karli Klar CPhT |
Karli emphasized when I asked her how she deals with rejections
"Every patient's insurance plan is different, it is very difficult to tell whether any particular plan will covered non-formulary drugs or compounds or a lot of our specialty items... I hate to see a customer upset because of a high deductible or difficult insurance representatives."
"Every patient's insurance plan is different, it is very difficult to tell whether any particular plan will covered non-formulary drugs or compounds or a lot of our specialty items... I hate to see a customer upset because of a high deductible or difficult insurance representatives."
At our pharmacy, we pride ourselves on serving our patients well and making sure they have the right medications. We do the best we can at working with the insurance companies to ensure our patients they receive the medication they need. Rejection is not an easy task and not something we enjoy here at our pharmacy. So, the next time you get rejected for a pharmacy please know that it is not always easy for the pharmacy technicians to deliver the bad news.
Jennie-Undercover For Your Everything Pharmacy
Tuesday, April 28, 2015
Good OR Free; Never Both
In My Experience: Free is Never Better
Have you ever had to deel with bad healthcare customer servicae whether it was from a pharmacy. free healthcare or healthcare at a private company? I currently have the terible free healthcare, but I am in the proces of switching over to a private company. A few medications that I currently take need refills. I called up my county clinic to make an appointment and they warned me they are booked up to June. I asked to speak to someone who could help me get my prescriptions because at this point I had no refills left. The customer service representative tells me to call back the next morning and to speak with a specific person.

No one should be treated this way no matter how free the services are. I have seen incredible technicians help customers and meet their needs without being rude or placing customers on hold endlessly.

This experience has taught me that not every company believes in helping their customers or providing superb customer service. I don't know about you but I think I would rather pay through the nose, if I had to, for a company that actually cares. I won't be giving them my time or my business. As a marketing director for a pharmacy, I know the importance of customer service. How can you be proud to work for a company that doesn't do it's very best to help it's customers and make a difference in people's lives?
Jennie-Your Undercover For Everything Pharmacy
Friday, April 24, 2015
Never Give Up On Yourself
"Obstacles don't have to stop you." Michael Jordan once said,"If you run into a wall, don't turn around and give up. Figure out how to climb it, go through it, or work around it." Every individual goes through different obstacles but it turns us into stronger people.
In the United States only 19% of the population holds a master's degree. Even with chronic ear and eye problems I struggled through and earned a master's degree. Even in kindergarten, when I hadn't been diagnosed with ear problems, or being legally blind, I always managed to find a way. I would say things that had nothing to do with the discussion and my teacher didn't understand why. I was born with smaller Eustachian tubes than normal, so I constantly have ear infections. My mother arranged a meeting with my teacher and she told my mother that she had assumed I was mentally ill. She continually told my mother that I would never go to college. My mother had enough one day and took me to the doctor to put me through some tests. She found out that my brain was fine, but I was legally blind, and needed glasses. I'll never forget how that teacher treated me, but in the end it had made me a stronger person. I proved her wrong. I got my bacherlor's and master's degree too. When people tell me I can't do things, I don't just give up. I figure out how to climb it. I go through it. I work around it.
I continue to stand by myself and never let my health problems get in the way. At times health problems, can be frustrating but as they say "What doesn't kill you makes you stronger," Because of my health condition, when I was younger I needed all these medications that really helped me. That's the reason I entered the pharmacy industry. Pharmacies have the ability to save lives and alleviate pain. They give others the capability of having a normal functional life. I want to make a difference by helping others receive the medications they need and by educating people about the available products compounding pharmacy have to offer.
What obstacles have you gone through? Did you pull through? What was the outcome? Has it made you a better person?
Jennie-Your Undercover For Everything Pharmacy
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