This Profile in Personalized Medicine highlights John C. Bellitti, RPh. He is the owner of HB Pharmacy in North Arlington, New Jersey. They have been a proud PCCA member since 1997.

 
How did you start compounding? What led you to PCCA?

Our pharmacy was founded in 1964. As a young boy, I watched my father fill prescriptions, and every script was a compound. Times changed and we got away from compounding. Then, in 1997, we joined PCCA because we wanted to return to our roots and have a more meaningful impact on patient outcomes.

How do you “Keep Things Fun” at your pharmacy?

PCCA’s Principles align with HB Pharmacy’s principles, so it’s hard to choose just one, but I like this one a lot. We need to take our work seriously, but without laughing or having fun, people often become robotic and are not the best version of themselves. We keep the atmosphere fun and light and laugh often, but, at the same time, we are diligent in our duty.

What are your favorite PCCA Principles, and how do you live these at your pharmacy? 

Honor Commitments

The first line on “HB Pharmacy’s Story” is “A family you can trust.” We take trust and care very seriously. 

Bring Your Best Self Every Day

As an independent pharmacy trusted by our local community, we take pride in helping patients in need. We especially feel this pride with our patients who receive compounded medication, as their needs are not met with the traditional medications provided by traditional pharmacies. Therefore, many of these patients rely on compounding pharmacies like us. Knowing that these patients go through a lot to have their prescription filled, we always try to go the extra mile to meet their compounding needs with a quick turnaround time for them to start their therapy ASAP.

Collaborate

This Principle can be taken more than one way. First, HB Pharmacy is a family. Whether you are a pharmacist, technician, clerk or delivery driver, we always listen to what our team members have to say and hold every suggestion valuable. There is a mutual respect and recognition that we are a team that works together every day to ensure we provide the best possible outcomes. One example of phenomenal collaboration goes back to October 6, 2022. Dr. Pamela Smith was here to speak, and our team performed in harmony, like a well-oiled machine. It was a real sight to see, and I could not be prouder to work with all of them. The result of their efforts was an amazing night where our guests left with valuable information and enthusiasm to affect changes in their respective practices.

When was the last time a patient thanked you and why?

Over the years, we have been blessed to have helped many patients who were truly in need. One case that comes to mind though concerns a patient who was battling cancer and was on heavy doses of chemotherapy. The side effects became debilitating. The one thing he wished he could do was eat or drink without pain. Working with the prescriber, we created an oral neuropathic pain gel for him containing lidocaine, ketamine, ketoprofen and gabapentin. The real key to the compound was the base. We used MucoLoxTM, which is an amazingly effective and extremely unique base. The way MucoLox adheres to the oral mucosa is unlike any product I have ever compounded with, and the relief our compound gave our patient was dramatic. I have never encountered a more appreciative patient.

What is your favorite PCCA education program or event and why?

Speakers Bureau. We have held four Speakers Bureau events to date. We had the nationally known Anti-Aging and Functional Medicine Specialist, Dr. Pamela Smith, come to our pharmacy to educate our local prescribers on hormone replacement therapy.

What is your favorite PCCA base and why? 

Although PCCA has a plethora of unique bases, including Plasticized™ Base, PermE8®, WO6®, XemaTop™, etc., I would have to say VersaBase® Cream! It is such a versatile, yet easy base to manipulate. Our "default" base is always VersaBase for most hormone therapy patients. Our patients are very selective in the products they use, especially the added ingredients they may contain. It’s hypoallergenic and pH balanced! We get rave reviews from patients on this base. It’s like the “classic” of innovative bases. 

What advice would you give someone who is new to pharmacy compounding?  

Maximize your resources. PCCA offers a variety of resources to use as a reference. When you are new to pharmacy compounding, these resources can help tremendously — from a simple formula search to more individualized formulary support, help from PCCA Clinical Services and marketing resources to marketing education. Make sure to utilize what you can that comes with the membership. PCCA is a high-quality chemical supplier, but offers so much more.