Pharmacist helps patients have quality of life

Walgreens pharmacist Mark Walberg also teaches a Medicare elective at University of the Pacific. Walberg has been a pharmacist in Lodi for three years. (Brian Feulner/News-Sentinel)

Pharmacist helps patients have quality of life

By Pam Bauserman
News-Sentinel Staff Writer

Monday, November 10, 2008 8:31 AM PST

Comments (2 comment(s))

Mark Walberg has been a pharmacist since 2006. He feels the profession adds a good balance to his life.

"A pharmacist is one of those people who can be a health care provider and help people and also have a good quality of life," he said.

A pharmacist at Walgreens, Walberg is also a pharmacy instructor at University of the Pacific. On Nov. 18, he and his students will be at Hutchins Street Square to help seniors in choosing their Medicare prescriptions plans.

Why is the cost of prescription drugs so expensive today?

I think it comes down to people wanting safe and effective medicine. The only way to do that is to do extensive clinical trials on them to make sure they are safe. Because that costs money, you pay to know your drugs went through these rigorous trials.

How did the event at Hutchins Street Square come about?

It is an outreach event. University of the Pacific is one of seven schools in California's Partners in D program. We can help seniors. We have no biases or motives. We're just here to help patients.

Mark Walberg at a glance

Age: 31.
Occupation: Pharmacist and pharmacy instructor.
Hobbies: Camping, hiking and visiting the Napa Valley.
Source: Mark Walberg

What is the most popular drug today?

There's really two classifications. One is the high cholesterol, like Lipitor and Zocor. Also, acid reflux, such as Prilosec, Nexium. Those are typically the highest ones. Also, Vicodin and antibiotics are the staple of most pharmacies.

What has been the most dangerous drug you have dealt with?

I would say all prescription medications have the potential to be dangerous if not used correctly. To me, what's in cigarettes is more scary.

What should Medicare beneficiaries know about selecting Part D plans?

The best resource they can use is www.medicare.gov, or they can call (800) MEDICARE and a representative will use the Web site for them. They can use the Medicare plan finder tool to find the best plan. Plans can also completely change between the years, so they should check yearly during the open enrollment period from Nov. 15 to Dec. 31.

How are the generic brands developed? What makes them generic or how are they different?

A generic medicine is when the brand name loses its patent. Other companies produce it. The best way for patients to save money is to use the generics. The generics are the safest medicines you can take because they have been on the market longer than the comparable brand name.

How do you decipher doctors' handwriting?

Pharmacy schooling would only take six months if we didn't have to learn how to do that. But, it's something you get used to, and doctors are used to us calling and clarifying. I find the more school you have, the worse your handwriting gets.

How often do people get conflicting prescriptions that could be potentially dangerous, and how can it be avoided?

It's kind of surprising that this doesn't happen as often as people think. Most drugs, if they have major interactions, we are looking for it and they may get pulled off the market. There are a small handful of drugs we worry about. We're used to going through the patient's profile and identifying them. The best advice I can give is, make sure the physicians are aware of all the medicines you are taking and try to use only one pharmacy. We can't check for drug interactions because we won't have any record of it. If you have to use more than one pharmacy, make sure to inform the pharmacy of all the medications taken.

Are prices going to be more affordable or more expensive as advances are made?

For drugs, the longer you wait, the more they are becoming generic. It's going to cost society more and more because we are getting good at keeping people alive with effective procedures and drug treatment. Medicare is about to take a hit as the baby boomers reach 65. The best thing to do is reduce the need to have medical care. Do things early in life, like eat a healthy diet, keep a healthy weight and don't smoke. Maybe throwing in some exercise now and then wouldn't be bad, either.

Reader Feedback

dogs4you wrote on Nov 11, 2008 7:20 PM:

" I use Kaiser, they are the best. When ever I get a new R/x, I have to have a consiltation with the pharmacist, they have all the meds I take on record and the pharmacist makes sure that the meds I take are compatable with anything else. They are open 24 hours a day and I can get my R/x delievered by mail, and can be order on line, and Kaiser pays for the freight. A great HMO, no insurance to BS with, and their price is compairable with others. Going on 50 with Kaiser and wouldn`t think of changing. "

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dogs4you wrote on Nov 11, 2008 7:09 PM:

" I am not an expert, from what I have read generic medicine`s are made when the orginal drug maker looses their patent, however that patent might be good for many years. It hardly seem fair that generic, which by the way is as good as brand names can be sold for less. After all the big drug companies spend millions of dollars developing the drug in the first place, and to loose their right to produce the drug they made to someone else to be sold at a lesser price. Then again no one said anything in this world had to be fair. It all come down to money and how much it will cost for the average person to take their meds. "

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