On being the MHP

I'm the MHP...Market HIV Pharmacist. I head up the company's HIV program in our market, which extends from Florida to Louisiana. But since HIV is prevalent in certain areas only, I really just have 20 stores: two in Baton Rouge, several in Jackson Mississippi, and the rest in the greater New Orleans area.
Before I moved into my shiny new pharmacy, I was a pharmacist at a busy crazy store in a crappy neighborhood. We had lots of HIV patients, and try as I might, we could not encourage medication adherence or get people to pick up their refills on time. Part of the problem was mental illness (highly correlated with HIV), part was lack of transportation, and part was apathy. It was a little frustrating. Once I moved into my new store, I had zero patients, with HIV or otherwise. I had to build up my clientele bit by bit. Word gets around the HIV community, and HIV patients have started coming to me now.
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I'm loving that I have a private counseling room. This week I had two newly-diagnosed patients and neither felt like they fully understood the therapy they were starting. One was a young man; the other a woman in her late 50's. She did not seek medical care for a long time (even though she has Louisiana Medicaid that covers her doctor's visits) and her CD4 count (those are the white blood cells that the HIV virus attacks) was 48 at time of diagnosis - that is quite low. Under 200 classifies you as AIDS; at her level she's at risk for multiple opportunistic infections. We had a long talk and I showed her how to keep track of her lab values to follow her progress, and told her that when she started her medication she'd feel drowsy and dopey at first. She returned today, three days later, to tell me that she had experienced the side effects I told her about, but that since I'd warned her she knew to stick with it until they went away. Her side effects should wain in about 2 weeks, so I have high hopes for her, despite the tell-tail track marks I saw on her arm today.
The young man who came in today has a full time job with insurance, but he's also a part time student and is trying to stay on a budget. He was started on the same medication as the older woman, but the side effects were something he was prepared for. We discussed starting the medication tonight, so he has time to get used to it before he returns to work on Tuesday (he took Monday off). By the time school starts over, he'll be over his loopiness. However, he didn't love his $50 copay. Luckily, I'm the coupon queen and downloaded him a coupon to cover his entire copay.
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Being the MHP usually means dealing from a distance- answering other pharmacists' clinical questions, helping bill insurance or use copay assistance, or reaching out to AIDS service organizations. Now that I'm getting patients here I'm glad to be working on the more personal side. I feel like I can establish a relationship and help them cope with this disease.
The only thing is, I never get used to it. I never get calloused. Each new diagnosis hits me in the pit of the stomach.
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I know I've shared a lot of crazy pharmacy stories in the past, but I wanted to share some more successful stories, too. It's nice when it's not all drug dealers and drama.

Cheap Date Wednesday: Dining Out For Life

Ok, Ok. It's not THAT cheap this Wednesday. I guess it kind of depends on what your restaurant tastes are! Cheap or pricey, I wanted to alert those of you in major cities that this Thursday - as in, tomorrow - is Dining Out For Life night. It's a night when participating restaurants donate 25% of your dinner bill to a local AIDS awareness or research group.
You can check out this map to see if your city participates, plus learn more about DOFL. Here in New Orleans we can pick from these restaurants, and the proceeds benefit the NO/AIDS foundation.
The husband and I might go to The Flaming Torch, which is delicious and a SECRET so don't tell anyone or it might start becoming difficult to get a table. Doesn't the shrimp cocktail look yummy?
Why you should participate this Thursday:
1. Hello, it involves eating good food. Easy choice.
2. Proceeds stay local to help YOUR city's HIV+ population.
3. It's sponsored by Open Table; you can make your reservations online for most participating restaurants and earn points (FYI it will take you approximately a million years to get enough points for any kind of deal or reward, unless you eat every single meal out. Oh well, it's still convenient).
4. AIDS service organizations fill in the gaps that health care providers leave. I can dispense your HIV meds and counsel you on the correct dose, but I can't give you a ride to your next doctor's appointment.