Name: Robert Doherty
Title: Clinical Fertility Pharmacist, Product Fulfillment Manager
Location: Integrity RX - Phoenix, Arizona
At VFP Pharmacy Group, we prioritize establishing a personal connection with each patient, taking the time to truly understand your individual needs and circumstances. We understand the importance of having a cohesive team that understands your unique story, and we strive to match each patient with a pharmacist with the knowledge and skill set necessary to provide meaningful support and guidance throughout your fertility journey.
Our commitment to personalized care means we work together to develop a treatment plan tailored to your unique situation, empowering you to take an active role in achieving your goals. We are dedicated to building lasting relationships with each of our patients to ensure that you feel supported and informed every step of the way.
We sat down with Robert Doherty, the Clinical Fertility Pharmacist and Product Fulfillment Manager at our Phoenix, Arizona location, to learn more about his work as a fertility pharmacist and how he guides patients through their treatment.
Why did you decide to work within the fertility industry as the focus of your pharmaceutical practice?
Before I came to VFP, I worked in retail pharmacy for 20 years. One day I got a call from a good friend telling me he had started his own Fertility Specialty Pharmacy. He asked me to come on board and join his team. Hard to believe, but that was almost seven years ago. Fertility Specialty Pharmacy is so much more rewarding than what I was doing before. There’s nothing like helping someone start a family.
Why should patients choose a Fertility Specialty Pharmacy over a typical neighborhood pharmacy?
Typical neighborhood pharmacies know very little about fertility treatment and the nuances and medications that come along with it. That’s not meant to be a slight on your everyday pharmacist—they just don’t work with the meds the way specialty pharmacists do. You should always go with a specialist when you’re talking about oncology, nutrition, or fertility. It’s more valuable to the patient to seek out a specialty pharmacy because we’ll know more than a retail pharmacist about side effects, interactions, and usage.
What do you appreciate about your daily interactions with patients or members of your team? In what ways do you work with patients and members of your team to make everyone’s lives a little bit easier?
Counseling patients on a full IVF cycle of medication is my favorite part of the job. Most patients have never mixed and injected medications—all these medications are new to them. They will walk into our counseling room, nervous and looking like a deer in headlights. However, they walk out confident, and that makes my day. I’ve had patients call at 11:00 p.m., and they just realized they don’t know how to inject their meds, but they have to have it done ASAP because their procedure is coming up. They’re terrified at first, but by the time you get off the phone with them, they’re calm. You get to put them at ease during a stressful time, which makes the interactions with our patients so rewarding. You’re helping them achieve this incredible goal, and they’re grateful.
Do you have any sort of advice when you’re speaking with patients that are just getting started outside of taking a deep breath?
I bring up a couple of things... First things first: I always recommend people call with questions before they start. But I also recommend the patient watch all the videos on our website and then call me back so we’re on the same page. There’s a lot of pressure with these meds because they’re time-sensitive, but I always tell them that mistakes aren’t necessarily the end of the world. Before you panic, give us a call and we can help assess the situation.
What misconceptions do you find people have regarding medication and fertility treatment?
I think some groups think there are more birth defects with fertility treatment, and there’s no evidence to support such an argument.
What do you like about working at the VFP Pharmacy group?
Being in four locations in the country is great. They’ve got our back, and we’ve got their back. It’s nice to have the support of all the other pharmacists in the other states.
My wife and I have struggled with infertility, but we have been blessed with our son James, who is one year old now. Going through IVF cycles with my wife gives me a unique perspective when helping couples start their own families.
What are your hobbies outside of work?
I’m the father of six children, so I don’t have too much time for hobbies, but I do like working on classic cars.
We’re not just a pharmacy where you can fill your prescriptions. We’ll help make getting started a little easier and using fertility medications simpler. To learn more about working with VFP, contact us today!
