It’s been said that women have a ‘sixth sense.’ They have this internal radar that lets them know when something isn’t quite right. The ability to wake up before their baby cries or to check on a friend just one more time is a gift most women are born with. It’s in their nature to take care of others and make sure everyone around them is happy and well.
Often overlooked though is the women’s own health. A lingering headache, a sudden mood change or weight gain is often ignored and blamed on some external pressure. But the reality is that a woman’s body is a temple and when something isn’t right, she needs to do something about it.
Kristen Riddle, a pharmacist at US Compounding, encourages women to listen to their bodies and realize the importance hormones play in their daily lives. Perhaps you’ve passed US Compounding on College Ave. in Conway and thought it was just another pharmacy. Or maybe you thought it was off-limits and open for a select group of people. After visiting and touring US Compounding, I learned that it is not just a normal pharmacy and it helps people of all ages and four-legged friends too. Wearing her crisp white lab coat, Kristen explained what separates the pharmacy from others and what services they offer in Central Arkansas and throughout the country. “We provide services all over the U.S., in over 40 states,” said Kristen, which explains the first part of name. The compounding part might raise a few more eyebrows.
According to material Kristen provided, the art of pharmacy compounding is the method of preparing medications to meet the unique needs of patients and prescribers. Furthermore, compounding pharmacies can prepare pharmaceutical products or in different configurations that are not commercially available. Throughout the interview, Kristen used the word “customize” many times. Because essentially, that is what a compounding-only pharmacy does. “[This is a] customized area of medicine, it’s not cookie-cutter, we look at the big picture,” explained Kristen. Specializing in bioidentical hormone replacement therapy (BHRT), Kristen is referring to her area of expertise and focus at the pharmacy. Bioidentical hormones are plant derived and identical to hormones made in the human body. Through her education and continued research, Kristen has learned that every person who walks into the pharmacy is different. She knows that each patient has a different set of hormones and emotions.
“My role here is a ministry. God’s blessed me to grow in knowledge and I’m very passionate about how life changing it [hormone replacement] can be,” said Kristen. She also added that faith is an important part of her life that carries over to her profession. Many of the women that seek her help are going through difficult, life-altering times. She admits that someone in her position has to have compassion when women come in. The pharmacy doesn’t just prescribe something and send them on their way, instead the staff members care about how each and every patient responds. The team at US Compounding wants positive results. Their motto is, “Feel good again,” and they stand behind their mission.
Along with Kristen, Becca Mitchell and Lisa Ortega complete the BHRT team. Lisa is a nurse and Becca holds the same Pharm.D. (Doctorate of Pharmacy) title as Kristen. Although Kristen performs a multitude of duties at the pharmacy, her main job includes working with women who have hormone imbalance.
When a prospective patient first walks in, either referred by her doctor or prompted by the, “something isn’t right” feeling, they are asked to fill out a form. The form asks about current health issues and a person’s family-related health concerns. An initial consultation also takes place, lasting about 30 to 45 minutes. During this time, the patient is asked to identify their top three symptoms, such as weight gain, migraines, sleeping problems or deflated energy levels.
Once the initial visit is over, the woman’s physician is contacted for approval and the hormone replacement therapy moves forward. Kristen made it clear that her team works closely with the physician, calling it the “triad” – patient, pharmacist and physician. If a physician does not give their consent, the therapy does not continue.
To find which hormones need adjusting, the patient submits a saliva sample. A pain-free process to obtain a sample of saliva will tell Kristen and her team a woman’s estrogen, progesterone, testosterone and cortisol levels.
Estrogen is a predominantly female hormone and responsible for the health of the reproductive tissues, breasts, bone, skin and brain. Progesterone is a hormonal balancer. Testosterone, although mostly associated to males, is also found in woman’s chemical makeup. This hormone maintains the structural integrity of a woman’s skin, bones and muscles. Cortisol, is the only hormone that increases with age. This hormone is produced by the adrenal glands in response to stress. Kristen is excited to learn more about Cortisol so she can educate women about the benefits.
Results of the test are returned to the compounding pharmacy and a customized plan is created through triad communication and the woman begins therapy. “We don’t just provide a prescription, but a service,” said Kristen. “Our goal is to have symptom relief within two months and improve the overall quality of [a patient’s] life.” The customized plan involves using bioidentical hormones. Other pharmacies provide hormone replacement, but sometimes they use synthetic hormones, which are not found in nature and not identical in structure.
Kristen explained that hormone replacement therapy is not risk-free. “Hormones are hormones, you have to treat them with respect. Adequate is great, too much is not good.” That is why they communicate with the patient and test the hormone levels throughout therapy. In addition to the BHRT, Kristen likes for her patients to work with Niki Thompson, a registered and licensed dietician at 24/7 Fitness. Kristen believes that eating well and moderate exercise aids in the overall success of the patient. “If you treat your body right, you can feel better,” she stated.
Kristen also encourages women to be very careful of the sources they research, some can lead them astray she cautioned.
As for the future of hormone replacement, Kristen is encouraged and excited. “It’s never going to go away, this is what ladies are looking for.” She also understands that knowledge is key to the success of her profession and for US Compounding. This is the reason she is traveling to a symposium in Houston to learn more. After she returns from Texas, she will be speaking at the National Community Pharmacy Association meeting in New Orleans. Two days after our interview, she was flying to New York to learn more about a skin care line she developed called US CosmeCeuticals. She beamed when talking about her new skin care line, “cosmeceuticals are huge right now.”
But between travels and when the lab is dark, Kristen goes home to her kids Payton, Preston, Sydney and husband Jeremy in Greenbriar. She even cuts back her hours during the summer to enjoy time with her kids. Providing a revolutionary treatment to women and patients all over the country is part ministry, part profession for this forward-thinking woman.
For additional information about the services offered at US Compounding, visit their location at 2125 College Ave., Suite 2 or call 1-800-718-3588.