Home of the Pharmacists
Heartland Apothecary Compounding Pharmacy ensures all guests understand their path to wellness
Ever wonder why you have no energy in spite of taking medicine? Or if your thyroid medication is actually working?
These are the types of questions you can bring to Heartland Apothecary Compounding Pharmacy. The store has been named the best compounding pharmacy in the region and five friendly pharmacists are waiting there to talk to you. If you’re a medical whiz, great, but if not, no worries. Owner Randy Martin, Pharm. D., and his staff will provide all the medical know-how you need.
As soon as you walk through the door, you’ll feel right at home at Heartland, and once you meet Randy, you’ll know you have an ally. “I’ve been practicing since 2010,” he says. “I started in retail pharmacy. But it was so hectic and busy that I didn’t have time to educate patients on how they got there or things they could do to reverse or at least slow down the progression of their problems.”
So in 2018, Randy began to search for a better way to help people prevent disease or treat the root cause of an existing disease instead of just putting a bandaid on it. This search brought him to the compounding pharmacy concept.
Compounding allows a pharmacy to tailor prescriptions to each customer. Today, Randy and his team at Heartland offer more personalized care options and consultations to help patient suffering from acute and chronic issues.
“Whether it’s adjusting dosages, creating allergy-friendly formulas, or providing medications in unique forms like creams, gels, or liquid solutions, we make sure that each patient gets exactly what their healthcare provider prescribes in the form that’s most convenient for them.”
Randy and his fellow pharmacists work closely with practitioners in the region to ensure patients are getting optimal therapies. “Our wide range of services include specialized medication management and customized supplement plans, which allow us to spend time with and meet our patients’ diverse needs.”
In addition, the store has a large selection of supplements, something Randy is a big believer in. Though it’s important to understand what each individual person actually needs.
“I don’t think everybody should be on everything,” Randy says, “but I think there are a few things that are good for everybody. For most people I think it’s good to tailor it specifically to them. I think for everybody vitamin D can be beneficial. I think it’s good to get lab work before you try it, but for the majority of people it’s going to be helpful. The B complex is definitely helpful. I think magnesium’s probably good for most people.
“I also recommend getting lab work prior to doing this, but there are what we call precursors to hormones, like pregnenolone and DHEA that can help naturally boost your hormones without actually having to do a prescription. I do think it would be wise to do that under a prescriber who specially understands and knows how to prescribe those. If somebody’s not comfortable going straight to bioidentical hormones, I think that would be a really good option. Also, Ashwagandha is really good for people under chronic stress.”
Currently, the most common customer requests include eye drops and injections, sterile compounding, bioidentical hormone replacement therapy, and help with auto-immune issues such as Hashimoto’s, Celiac, and arthritis.
Talking about hormone replacement therapy, Randy says women generally start with progesterone then add in estrogen and possibly testosterone. Progesterone helps with night sweats, hot flashes, emotions and skin issues, he says. Testosterone can help with being able to focus and have more energy and a higher libido.
“We have a lot of men who do testosterone replacement therapy now,” Randy says. “There are a lot of things that cause it. It can be age related, genetic issues, and I think a big one, especially in today’s world is going to be environmental factors. We have a lot of estrogen mimetics like plastics and things like that mimic estrogen and throw off your body’s natural productions. I think a lot of the reason we see so much of it in younger people today is environmental issues.”
While the store primarily services humankind, Heartland has many four-legged customers, too, something Randy says surprises some.
“Getting a pet to take medication can be hard unless you have good formulas,” he says. “We have Patsy who has worked in compounding pharmacy for over 30 years so she’s kind of perfected it. She’s trained everybody in how to make things that the animals will enjoy, so that’s nice.”
While the pharmacy does not accept insurance, Randy ensures they provide a universal claim form so customers can file directly with their insurance.
“We understand that our customers have busy lives,” Randy says, “which is why we’ve made convenience a priority. Our store hours are 9-5 Monday through Friday but we offer free shipping to all of Knox County for most prescriptions. We also have an online portal to request refills for patients that aren’t able to call in during open hours.”
Gold Winner :
Compounding Pharmacy
865- 909-9713
9947 Kingston Pike
Knoxville, TN 37922
heartlandapothecary.com