Welcome Dr. Vinay Patel

Clinical Pharmacist

Vinay Patel, Pharm.D. joins the Clinical Team at Doctors Making Housecalls with unique training, superb skills, and a passion to improve the medication management capabilities of our clinical staff as well as the health of our patients.

Growing up in Florida, Dr. Patel knew he wanted to be a Pharmacist at the tender young age of 12! He attended the University of Florida for undergraduate school and earned his Doctor of Pharmacy at their College of Pharmacy. (And, yes, he is a crazy Gator fan.) He continued with a Pharmacy Practice Residency at Walnut Creek Medical Center in Northern California.

Dr. Patel's education didn't stop there. He pursued additional training in numerous pharmacological sub-disciplines including Medication Therapy Management, Immunization Pharmacy, Psychopharmacology, and Diabetes Management. His clinical interests also include the effective pharmacologic management of sleep disorders, hypertension, hypercholesterolemia, and the interactions between prescription medication and over-the-counter nutritional & herbal supplements.

Dr. Patel is motivated by a profound desire to be of service, both to patients as well as to physicians and other clinicians. "I want to help physicians make the best use of the arsenal of medications available in the modern formulary," says Patel. "Medication management is one of several domains in which information is expanding at breakneck speed," he points out. "It's an incredible challenge for clinicians to keep up with it all. At DMHC, we believe it takes a team - an integrated, physician-led multidisciplinary team - to manage complex patients most effectively. I'm proud to be part of that effort."

Since his move to North Carolina one year ago, Dr. Patel has split his time between Brier Creek Pharmacy, where he's worked as a traditional pharmacist, and DMHC, where he's worked as a Clinical Pharmacist.   He has also helped his wife, a graphic designer, and their young son get settled into their new environment.  

"I'm ready now to make DMHC my top priority," Patel announces. "Being a Clinical Pharmacist is my passion; it's what I trained for, " he explains. "Typically, Clinical Pharmacists operate out of large institutions, but I've always preferred private practices because they allow for much more continuity of care. Fortunately for me, DMHC values my contribution and figured out how to integrate me into their practice. I'm thrilled to be part of the practice's dedicated efforts to provide the best possible care to the community."

Important New Vaccine for Seniors

The FDA recently approved a vaccine to protect seniors from three dreaded diseases - tetanus, diphtheria, and pertussis.  The vaccine, called Boostrix, is given as a single-dose booster shot.  Previously, only vaccines for preventing tetanus and diphtheria were approved in this age group. Adding a pertussis vaccine to the mix meets a public health need, because Pertussis (commonly known as "whooping cough") is a highly contagious and particularly exhausting disease characterized by severe coughing fits. Available treatments tend to be ineffective as well. Outbreaks have occurred among the elderly in the work force, communal living situations, and hospitals.

The body's protective response to the vaccine, measured by the production of antibodies, was excellent for all three diseases.  Headache, fatigue, and pain at the injection site were the most common adverse reactions reported by seniors receiving the vaccine.

DMHC currently has Boostrix in stock. Please speak with your clinician about whether a Boostrix vaccination is right for you. 

Generic Drugs on Horizon to 

Drive Down Costs

Alan Kronhaus, M.D., CEO
Doctors Making Housecalls