Pharmacy practice based in Dexter aims to help people in important ways

When pharmacist and Dexter resident Betty Chaffee created Better My Meds she did so with the goals of wanting to help people get the most benefit out of their medicines in order to help them stay healthier and hopefully in turn save them some money on their healthcare.

It sounds like a good idea and it’s local. The Sun Times News connected with Dr. Chaffee to learn more about this unique service.

Better My Meds is a pharmacy practice that provides medication management services instead of filling prescriptions. It serves people (patients) in the community by providing them with education and counseling to maximize the health benefits of their medications. Dr. Chaffee said they are dedicated to partnering with physicians to provide medication management services (MMS) to their patients, improving medication use and its resulting health outcomes.

The bottom line, Dr. Chaffee said, is that, “it’s about the patients and what they truly need.”

For some background on Dr. Chaffee, she obtained her Bachelor of Science in Pharmacy in 1981 from the University of Toledo and her Doctor of Pharmacy from the University of Iowa in 1984. She has been an adjunct faculty member of the University of Michigan College of Pharmacy and has practiced in many areas of pharmacy, including general hospital pharmacy, community pharmacy, Homecare, and Medication Management.

Betty Chaffee. photo courtesy of Better My Meds

She’s hoping to get the word out to the community about Better My Meds. It’s an important service that might be unknown to some.

On its webpage, Better My Meds defines MMS as "a spectrum of patient-centered, pharmacist-provided, collaborative services that focus on medication appropriateness, effectiveness, safety, and adherence with the goal of improving health outcomes."

It further says, “Because pharmacists are medication experts on the healthcare team, MMS can improve therapeutic outcomes and help patients get the most benefit from their medicines by:

• identifying, preventing, and resolving drug-related problems
• educating patients about their medicines and how to use them
• consulting with prescribers when needed to improve medication use”

Dr. Chaffee said a big part of what they do is answering people’s questions and providing information. She said people do not always get enough time to talk about or understand the details when it comes to their medication. She said doctors and pharmacists do not always have enough time to really talk about the medications with patients.

That’s where Better My Meds can help.

Another area is working to get the best outcomes for patients. Dr. Chaffee said they truly are patient-centered, so that’s the goal with everything they do. MMS can be an ongoing process to help make sure someone is being prescribed wisely and correctly.

Helping a patient understand and giving them more information empowers them to take charge of their health. Dr. Chaffee said they are here to provide help in order for patients to get the maximum health benefits from their medications.

There’s much more to the service and what it offers, so for those interested in learning more or contacting Dr. Chaffee, go to https://bettermymeds.com/
or email Betty@BetterMyMeds.com or call 734-649-2270.