by PCCA

This Profile in Personalized Medicine highlights Masoud Rashidi, PharmD, RPh, and Anna Rashidi, PharmD, RPh, of Innovative Compounding Pharmacy in Folsom, California. They have enjoyed being  PCCA members since 2006.

How did you start compounding? What led you to PCCA?
Anna attended a PCCA student boot camp in 2001, where she fell in love with compounding. This sparked her passion for compounding and led her to later work with Mark Gonzalez [former PCCA member, now full-time PCCA Clinical Compounding Pharmacist] where that passion blossomed.
Then in 2003, during pharmacy school, Anna and I had a rotation with Mark. He was a member of PCCA at the time and spoke highly of them. From the day we graduated pharmacy school, we wanted to open our own compounding pharmacy, and there was no question about being a member of PCCA.

What has been your toughest patient problem?
My toughest case was a patient with infected and painful chest wounds caused by radiation. Working with her doctor as well as Sebastian Denison in PCCA’s Clinical Services department, we created a formula using Spira-Wash® Gel and PracaSil®-Plus with phenytoin, misoprostol, diphenhydramine and metronidazole. In the end, she was very thankful.

What has been your most satisfying patient experience?
This goes back to 2008, when we had only been open for a year. We had a patient with multiple sclerosis who was looking for alternative options to what he had been prescribed before. I spoke with the patient’s doctor and one of PCCA’s clinical compounding pharmacists. Along with the patient, we all agreed to try low-dose naltrexone (LDN). When I first met the patient, he was in a wheelchair, and three months later, he walked into our pharmacy. I will never forget that moment. He told me that it had been the first time he walked after two years of being in the wheelchair and trying over six different medications. I got tears in my eyes.

What is your favorite PCCA base, and why?
VersaBase® Cream. It is elegant and easy to work with. It also helps that there are many bracketed, extended-BUD formulas for it in PCCA’s database.

What is your favorite PCCA educational event, and why?
Concierge Congress. Everyone shares info, and you get to see faces you have been on conference calls with all year. It’s a great way to learn and reconnect with colleagues.

Who was the last patient who thanked you?
The mom of a young child, after getting her son’s test results from the doctor and learning that his condition is under control because of a specific vancomycin suspension we have compounded for him every two weeks since 2016.

What advice would you give to new compounders?
Be compassionate and patient. It takes time to learn the art of compounding. Use good, trustworthy resources, and don’t cut corners.

What is your favorite thing about your jobs right now?
Helping patients, no matter how hard the regulations get. That one satisfied customer makes it all worth it.

What are your personal mottos or words to live by?
All good things come with hard work. Believe in yourself, and you can accomplish your dreams.

What is the best word to describe your lives?
Satisfied!