We had the good fortune of connecting with Dr. Sue Ojageer and we’ve shared our conversation below.
Hi Dr. Sue, what was your thought process behind starting your own business?
Throughout my years of working, with the majority of it being a community pharmacist, I’ve noticed a change in my profession, especially in the retail setting.
What should our readers know about your business?
PharmaSue Healthcare Services was created to bridge the gap between practitioner visits and the the patients receiving their medications.
Many underutilized options exists that allows patients to attain better health. I offer personalized therapy options for patients that include genetic testing and medication management based on their individuality.
Medicine will produce different results in individuals. Everyone is different! That’s not something to be upset with but rather utilized for positive outcomes. Imagine knowing ahead of time if a certain medication will or will not work for a patient. The amount of savings for patients, time savings and credibility from practitioners is unmeasurable!
Working in the retail setting I saw so many avenues for missed patient care especially in the initial stages of being prescribed a medication. Medication prescribing is done mostly though trail and error prescribing and what I offer is eliminating the guess work for physicians.
I offer an opportunity for practitioners to consider the entire rubric when prescribing, such as patient age, weight ,medication clearance, drug interactions, and drug genome interaction.
Although my approach might seem unattainable or outlandish by many, Pharmacogenomic (PGx) testing is recommended by many drug manufacturers. In fact over 350 common medications have Pharmacogenomic recommendation in the package inserts of these drugs. The difficulty sometimes arises in explaining this information to practitioners who aren’t familiar with utilizing genetics for advanced outcomes. My speciality is educating them on the benefits of implementing genetic testing into standard practice, similar to documenting allergies for a patient, we should also know the metabolism rate of an enzyme that is necessary in breaking down a medicine so it can produce an effect.
I learned to be patient with all aspects of patient care. Sometimes it could be lack of information that could lead to a misunderstanding. But If options exist to acquire knowledge that would allow us to work and perform smarter instead of working harder, I’m always in support of the latter option. I always encourage my patients to take autonomy of their health. Ask questions, be involved in the decision making process and if you aren’t comfortable with understanding something, challenge yourself to find valid solutions.
Let’s say your best friend was visiting the area and you wanted to show them the best time ever. Where would you take them? Give us a little itinerary – say it was a week long trip, where would you eat, drink, visit, hang out, etc.
Drinks- Tying it back to my pharmacy roots you know I have to recommend Apothecary, I also like Sixty Vines , and The Library for the ambiance.
Reunion Tower for skyline views. Back when it was open Wolfgang Puck Five Sixty.
I love staycations in Dallas at the Ritz, The Joule, Halls Art Hotel
Family activities with the little ones Dallas Zoo, Arboretum, Aquarium, Perot Museum.
Who else deserves some credit and recognition?
My shoutout series would encompass the amazing pharmacist in my network. I believe as pharmacist we are very restrictive with accepting a higher potential/value. Sometimes it’s easy to become complacent in our roles and accept the “norm” we were conditioned to believe. I have networked with and become acquainted with many trail blazing pharmacists that are defying the normal boundaries of our profession that have inspired me to follow suit.
Next I have to give credit to my parents, who never allowed me to settle. They have always encourage me to always strive for the best and never become too comfortable where I loose my individuality. Growing up as an only child I was always expected to push the boundaries and to redefine my purpose constantly when I accomplish a goal. I was taught nothing was ever unattainable for me. “If theres a will theres a way”
And last but not least my faith in God, I’m a strong believer of everything happens for a reason in life.
In school, you’re taught a lesson and then given a test. In life, you’re given a test that teaches you a lesson. -Tom Bodett
Let’s just say in life I was given many tests that lead me to this path and I’m very grateful of where I am today.
Website: www.pharmasue.com
Instagram: https://instagram.com/pharma.sue?utm_medium=copy_link
Linkedin: http://www.linkedin.com/in/sueojageer
Twitter: SueOjageer
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/PharmaSue-104637788715946/
Youtube: https://youtube.com/channel/UCjm9OBGX5hNmq_YbjH4pifw?sub_confirmation=1