Behind The Counter

Pharmacy benefits managers are middle men whose original purpose was to negotiate pharmacy contracts for insurance companies to save everyone money on drug spend. That’s not what’s happening in practice. Tune in to learn how PBMs are helping inflate drug costs for everyone and why you should support your local pharmacy. Episode featuring John Bellitti, RPh and Vince Bellitti. Both are owners at HB...

We're back!!! For our first episode of Behind the Counter in a few years, our very own compounding pharmacist John Bellitti discusses compounded Low Dose Naltrexone, also known as LDN. LDN isn't a new drug, but is now being used in new ways under the guidance of a licensed physician to possibly help manage auto immune diseases. By working with a compounding pharmacy, some patients and ph...

At HB Pharmacy, caring for the community is our top priority which is why we’re urging you to watch this video about the dangers of Fentanyl. With overdose rates climbing, it’s imperative to educate your family, friends and loved ones. Please help spread the message to not take any medication that’s not prescribed directly for you and filled for you by a licensed pharmacy. The motivation for this...

"Supplements are crap!"  "Supplements are too expensive!" "Supplements don't work!" We hear all of those things and more frequently. Truthfully, it's with good reason. The dietary supplement industry as a whole can lack transparency, ESPECIALLY in terms of ingredient quality and sourcing. Mike Muoio from Ortho Molecular discusses all of that and more, includ...

Technology and innovation have advanced in many ways over the past few decades. The ways we can manage hair loss challenges are no different! John and Vince both discuss their own personal experiences with hair loss and how a new formulation can help manage hair loss challenges!  This formula in particular requires a physician prescription and is made in USP 800 certified compounding pharmacies. P...

LIVE!!!! Ever have trouble giving a pet medicine? Maybe dog, cat, bird, or even something less common like a ferret or lizard? Maybe the commercially available medication isn't working or isn't an option. That's where compounding comes in! We work with vets to create customized medication tailored to each individual pet. John, our compounding pharmacist, shares some incredible stori...

In this episode of Behind the Counter, our pharmacist will discuss allergies, why they're an issue, and then cover all of the OTC meds people commonly take. We'll also provide some recommendations! To catch us live, please LIKE https://facebook.com/hbpharmacy or follow https://instagram.com/gasparsbest and join us at 12pm Eastern Time on the third Thursday of every month. Retail / Compou...

Aromatherapy certainly isn't new, but it's something that many people don't truly understand! We get questions about it all the time at the pharmacy, especially from a wellness perspective. We'll cover: - What aromatherapy is - How it works scientifically - What it can be used for - How you can use it most effectively - Product recommendations Featuring special guest, Brianna B...

Poop.  There. We said it. While it may be gross, you can learn a TON about your health based on how your poop looks! In fact, you can use your poop to troubleshoot your health and learn what changes you need to make to improve! Plus, poop jokes are fun! To catch us live, please LIKE https://facebook.com/hbpharmacy or follow https://instagram.com/gasparsbest and join us at 12pm Eastern Time on the...

We've discussed this topic before with other professionals, but wanted to dive into more detail! Technically speaking, literal "detoxing" happens in our bodies every day through our livers! But that's typically not what we as consumers think about when we think about "detoxing". We'll debunk and confirm some of the myths and facts associated with "consumer&q...

Ok...we admit we're a tad late in sharing this. Ok...we also admit that that's a big understatement. That said, how have your resolutions been going thus far? It's better to reflect and adjust NOW when you still have two thirds of 2021 left to make a change. Plus, the goal-setting tips we share here are relevant for ALL goals, not just New Year's resolutions! _________________...

This video, featuring Jag Desai, MD, a pain, sports, and regenerative medicine specialist, and functional pharmacist, James Park, discuss and interesting new development called Nutrient IV Therapy. This is...exactly what it sounds like! Instead of taking dietary supplements, this is essentially supplementing nutrients intravenously. There are some benefits for taking this approach, particularly as...

This video, featuring Jag Desai, MD, a pain, sports, and regenerative medicine specialist, and compounding pharmacist, John Bellitti, discuss pain management and new pain modalities. It seems like, due to Covid-19, we've all forgotten about pain management. At the end of 2019, pain management was one of the hottest topics of discussion in the healthcare space. There were even multiple documen...

This video, featuring Jag Desai, MD, a pain, sports, and regenerative medicine specialist, and compounding pharmacist, John Bellitti, discuss men's health and aging optimally. Most of us are interested in "aging optimally" or gracefully. But, for whatever reason, men are sometimes more flippant about their health as they age. Dr. Desai explains the changes that happen to men as they...

Detoxing is a common buzzword in the health and wellness space these days. With many conflicting products and opinions, like in much of the industry, sometimes it's difficult to determine what's legit and what's not legit. On this episode, John Preckshot RPh, CCN, FAARM, a former pharmacy owner, functional pharmacist, and the Director of Nutrition at Wellness Works*, discusses what...

This isn't a live episode, but we wanted to share this information all the same! Ananda Professional, the professional grade CBD product we carry on gasparsbest.com and at HB Pharmacy, recently released a study titled " Evaluation of the effects of CBD hemp extract on opioid use and quality of life indicators in chronic pain patients: a prospective cohort study" Here is a link to th...

This recorded live video will NOT contain the typical advice you're expecting! We've all heard the standard "indulgence" tips. Drink more water. Load up on veggies first. Etc. That's great advice, too, but what happens when you DO indulge too much anyway? What do I take for indigestion? Or if I'm bloated? Or hung over? At the pharmacy, we get the same questions after...

We all hear about common medication side effects like drowsiness, nausea, vomiting, etc. What about nutritional side effects? That's right! More and more studies are showing that medications have nutritional side effects that are often not discussed with patients. In this video, our pharmacist will cover many of these nutrient depletion side effects. Plus, open Q&A at the end! To catch us...

Stress is a part of our daily lives but, perhaps right now, it's arguably at inordinately high levels for many of us. In this episode, Denise Reaves, the founder of Balanced You, an online platform for teaching yoga, meditation, and mindfulness, discusses how stress impacts our bodies and shares some simple pointers for how to help manage stress in our daily lives. Denise used to work in an i...

This video, featuring Elizabeth Boyle, D.O.M.S, an anti-aging specialist and functional medicine practitioner, and compounding pharmacist, John Bellitti, discuss inflammation. Did you know that, as your second brain, much of the inflammation or causes of inflammation in your body actually originate in your gut? Dr. Boyle explains various types of inflammation, particularly associated with your gut...

The. Most. HILARIOUS. Moment in show history to start the episode. Vince's Grandma, Jackie, left him with some amazing final words of advice that you HAVE to hear. Hope you enjoyed this season :) Thanks for listening! See you next season! Hosted by personal trainer / nutrition coach Vince Bellitti (NASM-CPT, WLS, Pn1) and pharmacist James Park (RPh, PharmD). Both with Gaspar's Best and H...

We ask uncomfortable questions on this show. Why? Because it's important that we have the answers to these questions, even if we're too afraid or uncomfortable to ask. So, we figured we'd ask for you! Especially since we make hormone replacement therapy medication in our compounding lab, we get these questions pretty frequently and are here to help you. Please reach out directly if...

TOP RATED EPISODE ALERT! This episode was informative, fun, and even included a prank! In this episode, Nurse Danielle Choinski joined Vince and James to talk about STIs. We'll do a little time traveling back to your high school health class days to discuss the more common STIs, what you should do if you think you have one, different options and treatments, and much more! Watch until the end...

We've all seen the ads. We've seen the jokes about "sketchy products" from overseas. But what's the truth about sex and hormone products that are available over the counter as dietary supplements? Is there some truth behind the "sketchiness"? What are some other non-traditional methods people use to boost their libido and performance? What's the craziest thi...

We're taking a temporary break from our regularly scheduled BTC season to talk about COVID-19. We discuss: Being proactive about COVID-19 What to do if you're sick How we're protecting patients at the pharmacy What we've heard about local testing centers Immune support products Hosted by personal trainer / nutrition coach Vince Bellitti (NASM-CPT, WLS, Pn1). Featuring pharmacis...