This Profile in Personalized Medicine highlights Amy Hoefer, CPhT, Laboratory Manager and Technician of O'Brien Pharmacy, owned by Eric Everett and Lisa Everett Anderson in Mission, Kansas. They have been proud PCCA members since 1984.

How long have you been compounding?
About 12 years.

Did you always want to work in the field of pharmacy? What led you to pursue it as a career?
I live in a small town, so there wasn't much available locally, and I felt very lucky to have found a position at the town drug store. I started there at 18 years old and found that I really enjoyed it. I started in retail, then eventually accepted a position with a hospital pharmacy, where I helped with IVs and total parenteral nutrition (TPN) bags, and from there went to O'Brien. I've been with O'Brien Pharmacy for about 17 years.

When did you learn about compounding, and why did you start doing it?
O'Brien Pharmacy was my first real experience with compounding. I had no idea it was a thing until I walked through those doors for the first time. It was very exciting to find out that we actually made prescriptions versus only counting out pills. The pharmacy was very small when I started, so everything was done by pharmacists — formulating, weighing, mixing and finishing. I was eventually part of the cleanup crew. Then I moved to mixing and finishing on the nonsterile side of the business. It was exhilarating! Now I no longer work with nonsterile, unless help is needed. I am a sterile trained technician and have done that for about six years now.

What do you find most fulfilling about compounding?
I love the fact that it's customizable. Being able to compound makes the relationship with the clients more personal. I truly feel that we, as compounders, are making a huge difference in people's lives.

What are some of the challenges you have been able to overcome? 
We have a client thawho has issues related to drug absorption. They were on all sorts of medications, feeding tube and constant watch, and they were wheelchair bound when they first came to us. They spend a great deal of time in the hospital and have to carry around all sorts of machines wherever they go. 
We started supplying a compounded medication in an IV bag that the patient’s doctor had prescribed to help with absorption, which eventually helped them get off some of the machines and medications, and they can also eat some regular food. They are able to get out of their wheelchair, be more mobile and visit the pharmacy to let us know how they're doing. This client has become very special to the staff at our pharmacy. 

What advice would you give to a new compounder?
No matter what may be happening around you, always remember that you are making something with your own two hands, and that finished product is making someone better. Some compounds are tedious, but the results make it all worth it!