MAY 200926 27PRIMETIMECAPE COD

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TennisCONTINUED FROM PAGE 25

BY BARBARA RAVAGE

It is news to no one that our health care system is in crisis. Here on the Cape, a major sign is the shortage of primary care physicians, with many medical practices closed to new

patients. Managed care pressures health care professionals to see as many patients as possible as quickly as possible. One bright spot in this picture are local phar-macists, trained professionals who repre-sent a vital link in the health care delivery chain.

They are available on a walk-in basis to answer questions about medications that we may have forgotten or felt too rushed

to ask the doctor about. They can provide advice and counsel about side effects of medications, whether prescription or over-the-counter. Because we may get prescrip-tions from more than one doctor for more than one health problem, pharmacists are often the only ones who know all the medications we are taking and can sound the alarm if there’s the risk of dangerous interaction between two or more drugs. They can suggest nonprescription rem-edies for problems we might consider too minor to warrant a doctor’s appoint-ment and urge us to call a doctor if the problem is more serious than we think.For those of us with drug plans, whether

through Medicare or a private insurer, they handle the “paperwork” – nowadays mostly by computer. All they ask in return is a co-payment, which by law is the same whether you fi ll your prescription at a chain or one of the few remaining inde-pendent pharmacies.

Jim Garvey is one of those rare birds: an independent pharmacist. The owner of Apothecare in Hyannis (and the adjoin-ing Westgate Medical Supply), he got his pharmacy degree from Northeastern. Like all registered pharmacists (R.Ph.) in Massachusetts, he maintains his state

JIM GARVEYAn apothecary who cares

Most students keep coming for 12 sessions. “After a year or two you can see the changes,” Pease says.

Adults are fi nding multiple benefi ts to playing tennis later in life.

“Mentally it keeps you alert,” says Joyce Puntonio, 70, of Falmouth, a retired nurse. “You have to use strat-egy. You exercise your brain and your body.”

“It’s a good workout and a stress reliever,” added Lisa Rudy.

Tennis is one sport you can’t play alone. But that’s hardly an obstacle. People meet people and fi nd their own level of play. “It’s a social sport,” Pease says.

Pease was introduced to tennis by his mother when he was 9. He played varsity at the University of Massa-chusetts in Amherst where he earned a degree in sports management. The West Falmouth native has played a vi-tal role in making Falmouth a “tennis town” from tennis tots to USTA team players. Since 1982 he’s developed a large number of junior and adult play-ers. His junior players have gone on to success as high school and college varsity level athletes, some achieving local and national ranking. He’s also brought adult players to the “A” club level and some have even become teaching professionals.

Pease fi nds teaching adult players fun. “I’ve met interesting people from all backgrounds who love the game: scientists, real estate agents, lawyers, doctors, moms and dads and grandpar-ents,” he says. “Older players truly fi nd a love of the game and a new appre-ciation for the word fun. For many it’s their single most important activity on a weekly basis. I share these moments with them. “I like to help people im-prove and get to the next level.”

In 2006 Pease was awarded New England Coach of the Year and Player of the Year for men over 45 by the USPTA New England. For the last 25 years he’s headed the Kevin Pease School of Tennis.

Besides his knowledge of tennis, what his adult students appreciate most is his sense of humor and love of the game.

“Kevin makes it fun,” Puntonio says.During a recent Tuesday morning

clinic Pease hit a basket full of yellow balls to the class, dosing his instruc-tions with a lot of humor. He praised

each player when they hit the ball smoothly over the net or returned a serve.

“If I could run faster I’d probably do better,” says Judy Ernst, 66, during a break. The Falmouth retiree dabbled in tennis through the years. After her knee replacement she was ready to take up tennis again. “It’s exercise without pain and it’s fun,” she says. “You don’t notice you are sweating.”

“The hardest thing is controlling the ball and where it’s going to go,” says Lisa Rudy. “Tennis is a game of focus. You have to move.”

Rudy’s daughter and son drew her back into the sport when they began taking lessons. “It looked like fun,” she says. “It’s much less competitive when you are a grown-up. It’s differ-ent when you are 14 on the court and everybody is staring at you.”

Yet it’s challenging to start playing tennis again as an adult.

“You don’t move around the court as fast as when you were younger,” says Lorraine Eglinton, 47, of Falmouth who played on her high school tennis team in her native Eng-land. She hadn’t picked up a racket until 2002 in the night class.

“I wanted to exercise but I fi nd it boring,” she says. What she loves about tennis is the aerobic exercise and the competitive aspect. “I look forward to playing every week,” she says.

Older players admit that they have to make certain concessions to age.

“I have to make sure I warm up,” says Nancy Bisienere, 51, of East Falmouth, who quit tennis years ago because of tennis elbow. “I came back because I needed to get back in shape.”

“A lot of it comes back to you,” Pun-tonio says. “But you aren’t going to be like you were when you were 13. You will not cover the court like you did or run as fast.”

She admits to feeling aches and pains the day after a class, especially in her arthritic knees. She takes a warm bath and does some stretching exercises to recover.

“I play doubles more,” she says. “That makes it a lot easier.”

But the effort seems to be worth it.“I was very rusty when I started in

January,” says John Banner, a Falmouth retiree in his early 50s. “The coaching has been helpful and I’ve improved a lot.”

Lyonnias proudly reports “I’m back to the level of play I was at when I stopped years ago.” PLEASE SEE GARVEY, PAGE 28

MERRILY LUNSFORD/CAPE COD TIMES

Jim Garvey is an old-fashioned apothecary; he can compound medicines, keep track of possible drug interactions when customers are get-ting prescriptions from more than one doctor, and his store, Apothecare, is independently owned and operated.

HEALTH & WELL-BEING

MAY 200928 29PRIMETIMECAPE COD

license by taking a prescribed number of hours of continuing education. In most pharmacies, licensed technicians fi ll prescriptions, but always under the supervision of a registered pharmacist.

Jim explains that drug interactions and side effects are two different things. An interaction refers to the effect one medication has on another, usually by increasing or decreasing its strength. Interactions can occur even if the medications are not taken at the same time; if they are in your bloodstream together, they affect each other. The consequences can be very serious, Jim says, since in effect, the body is not getting the prescribed dos-age. For example, someone might be taking medication to prevent seizures or control high blood pressure along with anoth-er medication that interacts to make it less potent. Sometimes food or alcohol inter-acts with medica-tions. Dark green vegetables alter the strength of the blood thinner warfarin (Cou-madin). Dairy products may interfere with the absorption of some antibiotics. And alcohol can make some drugs – particularly those that affect the central nervous system such as tranquilizers, pain killers, and sedatives – more powerful and those drugs, in turn, increase the potency of the alcohol, a dangerous mixture that could be fatal.

A side effect is any physical reac-tion to a drug: drowsiness, nausea, headache, rash, double vision, dizzi-ness, and more. We’ve all seen and heard the long and often terrifying lists of potential side effects in the fi ne print and the rapid voiceover of drug ads. Jim explains that manufacturers are required to list every single thing that ever happened when a drug was tested on human subjects, even if it happened only once. “The chance that you will experience even one of these side effects is minimal,” he says. But if you do have a disturbing side effect after taking a drug, talk to the phar-macist.

“Sometimes nausea can be offset by eating something beforehand. In the case of drowsiness, sometimes a medication can be taken at bedtime,” Jim explains. The pharmacist will know if these options are acceptable under the particular circumstances. If the side effect is more serious or it’s not possible to adjust the timing, “We say, ‘Call your physician.’”

Jim urges everyone to avail them-selves of the option to talk to the pharmacist, especially when fi lling a prescription for the fi rst time. “That’s being responsible on your part,” he says. “You may have been taking the medication for years – for high blood pressure or diabetes, for example – so you may not need the consult every time, but if you need a reminder, ask for it. That’s what we’re here for.”

Ask if there’s anything you should know about the drug, like whether

you should take it with meals or on an empty stomach, or if it doesn’t mat-ter. Read the stickers on the container and ask about anything you don’t under-stand. Review the number of pills you should take, when, and for how long, and what you should do if you forget to take one on time. Ask what you can

expect. How long it will be before your symptoms go away? Should you stop taking the medicine if you feel better? In most cases, especially with antibiotics, the answer to the last question will be an emphatic, “No.”

The two best safeguards against drug interactions are your pharmacist and yourself, Jim says. If you get all your prescriptions at the same place, your records will be on the computer, which will fl ag potential interactions. When that happens, “We always ask customers if they are still taking the other medication. If they say yes, we’ll call the doctor who wrote the new prescription.” The doctor may say it’s more important to take the new medication, or might change to a different drug or alter the dosage. “Whatever the case may be, we have to verify,” but the doctor has the last word on the matter.

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Ducted and Duct-Free solutions for all your heating and cooling needs.

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• Personal Care Services: - Bathing, Hygiene - Incontinence Care - Transfers• Companionship• Cooking, Light Housekeeping• Errands, Shopping• Incidental Transportation• Laundry• Grooming, Dressing Guidance• Medication Reminders• Geriatric Care Management• Skilled Nursing• Diabetes Management• Coumadin Management

GarveyCONTINUED FROM PAGE 27

CONTINUED FROM PAGE 28

CONTINUED ON PAGE 29

The key, Jim says, is if you fi ll all your prescriptions at the same phar-macy, your history will be all in one place. It’s true that most prescriptions are covered by plans that have their own computerized records, but if you change plans or are a cash customer or buy medicines on the Internet, you don’t have that protection.

Ordering from a mail order or on-line pharmacy through your drug plan – sometimes required for medication taken long-term – is different from using an Internet prescription “mill” or responding to an e-mail promising cheap drugs without a prescription. Avoid those like the plague. Most are out-and-out scams; others have “free-lance” doctors who write prescriptions without even seeing the patient, a violation of medical ethics and usually the law.

Jim advises carrying an index card listing the name of all your medica-tions, with the strength, how much you take, and how often you take each. Be sure to include vitamins, nutritional supplements, herbal remedies, and other nonprescription preparations. “Keep it in your wallet, right next to your insurance card,” he suggests. That way, if you end up in an emergency room and are unable to give that information, it’s all there. It’s also important to tell all your doctors and update the list if there’s any change. “Most physicians ask, and they really want to know, even if it’s a vitamin, fi sh oil, glucosamine, baby aspirin, or something else, because sometimes there is an interaction.”

Some people are reluctant to tell their doctors about non-traditional remedies, but “natural” or not, any-thing with pharmaceutical properties can have an effect. “Almost everything could infl uence a prescription medica-tion. To what degree is for the physi-cian to decide,” Jim says.

Now 68, Jim has been on the Cape for more than 40 years. “I came for a summer job, enjoyed it and the work I was doing, so I decided to stay.” An Osterville resident, he raised his two children here. Both went through the Barnstable school system and are now in college: Ryan is studying culinary arts and Julie is pursuing a business degree while working with her father.

Apothecare, an independently owned and operated full-service pharmacy, with a branch in Plymouth, is a valuable community resource. In addition to fi lling individual prescriptions, it provides medica-

tions for assisted living facilities, group homes, and hospices. One of its specialties is compounding, preparing medications in a strength or form that might not be available commercially. This ranges from tuna-fl avored thyroid medication for cats to customized bio-identical hormone replacement formulations determined by a doctor through testing of the individual patient, and many forms such as transdermal patches, supposi-tories, and topical gels for patients who cannot take needed medication by mouth. Among the special services Apothecare provides is a dispensing aid called Medicine on Time, a boon to people with memory impairments who may have multiple pills to take. And rarest of all, Apothecare delivers, from Cape tip to the bridges.

In Jim Garvey’s world, the personal touch is what counts. “People should have a pharmacist and physician they know and trust, and who can answer their questions.” He certainly fi lls that prescription. “I like helping people. They walk in sick and I help make them better.”

QuickhitsOld-school pharmacistApothecare205 West Main St.Hyannis, MA 02601508-775-9254www.apothecareinc.com and 121 Camelot Drive Plymouth, MA 02360 508-732-9700

!Most physicians ask, and they really want to know, even if it’s a vitamin, fish

oil, glucosamine, baby aspirin, or something

else, because sometimes there is an interaction.

JIM GARVEY, PHARMASICT AND OWNER APOTHECARE

About the authorBarbara Ravage moved to Cape Cod from her native New York City in 2000, after the youngest of her children went off to college. She considers heavy doses of ocean air and Cape light the best cure for empty-nest syndrome. A graduate of Barnard College, she is the author of nine books, including a biogra-phy of Rachel Carson for middle-school students and “Burn Unit: Saving Lives After the Flames,” which explores the history and science of burn treatment. She balances her writing life with yoga, karate, and pottery. After years of mak-ing do with two summer weeks on the Cape, her favorite part about living here is that she’s already home.

MAY 200928 29PRIMETIMECAPE COD

license by taking a prescribed number of hours of continuing education. In most pharmacies, licensed technicians fi ll prescriptions, but always under the supervision of a registered pharmacist.

Jim explains that drug interactions and side effects are two different things. An interaction refers to the effect one medication has on another, usually by increasing or decreasing its strength. Interactions can occur even if the medications are not taken at the same time; if they are in your bloodstream together, they affect each other. The consequences can be very serious, Jim says, since in effect, the body is not getting the prescribed dos-age. For example, someone might be taking medication to prevent seizures or control high blood pressure along with anoth-er medication that interacts to make it less potent. Sometimes food or alcohol inter-acts with medica-tions. Dark green vegetables alter the strength of the blood thinner warfarin (Cou-madin). Dairy products may interfere with the absorption of some antibiotics. And alcohol can make some drugs – particularly those that affect the central nervous system such as tranquilizers, pain killers, and sedatives – more powerful and those drugs, in turn, increase the potency of the alcohol, a dangerous mixture that could be fatal.

A side effect is any physical reac-tion to a drug: drowsiness, nausea, headache, rash, double vision, dizzi-ness, and more. We’ve all seen and heard the long and often terrifying lists of potential side effects in the fi ne print and the rapid voiceover of drug ads. Jim explains that manufacturers are required to list every single thing that ever happened when a drug was tested on human subjects, even if it happened only once. “The chance that you will experience even one of these side effects is minimal,” he says. But if you do have a disturbing side effect after taking a drug, talk to the phar-macist.

“Sometimes nausea can be offset by eating something beforehand. In the case of drowsiness, sometimes a medication can be taken at bedtime,” Jim explains. The pharmacist will know if these options are acceptable under the particular circumstances. If the side effect is more serious or it’s not possible to adjust the timing, “We say, ‘Call your physician.’”

Jim urges everyone to avail them-selves of the option to talk to the pharmacist, especially when fi lling a prescription for the fi rst time. “That’s being responsible on your part,” he says. “You may have been taking the medication for years – for high blood pressure or diabetes, for example – so you may not need the consult every time, but if you need a reminder, ask for it. That’s what we’re here for.”

Ask if there’s anything you should know about the drug, like whether

you should take it with meals or on an empty stomach, or if it doesn’t mat-ter. Read the stickers on the container and ask about anything you don’t under-stand. Review the number of pills you should take, when, and for how long, and what you should do if you forget to take one on time. Ask what you can

expect. How long it will be before your symptoms go away? Should you stop taking the medicine if you feel better? In most cases, especially with antibiotics, the answer to the last question will be an emphatic, “No.”

The two best safeguards against drug interactions are your pharmacist and yourself, Jim says. If you get all your prescriptions at the same place, your records will be on the computer, which will fl ag potential interactions. When that happens, “We always ask customers if they are still taking the other medication. If they say yes, we’ll call the doctor who wrote the new prescription.” The doctor may say it’s more important to take the new medication, or might change to a different drug or alter the dosage. “Whatever the case may be, we have to verify,” but the doctor has the last word on the matter.

GardenG A L L E R Y

AN

DHome

CAPE COD’S LARGEST SUPPLIER

OF LOAM AND MULCH“We Go The Extra Yard!”

508-428-2613 • 1-800-443-2613www.caperesources.com

280 OLD FALMOUTH RD. MARSTONS MILLS

Now Open Monday – Saturday 7am-4:30pm

www.daikinac.com

Ducted and Duct-Free solutions for all your heating and cooling needs.

56-A Nicoletta's WayMashpee, MA 02649

508-328-6821

www.rjfraney.com

Cape Cod RetractableScreens & Shutters

508-539-3307www.screensNshutters.com

ShuttersAwnings

Commercial CanopyRetractable Screens

Cape Remodel

Center

Cape Remodel

Center

681 Falmouth Road (Deer Crossing), Mashpee

508-477-2773 Open 9-5 Mon-Sat

www.CapeRemodelCenter.com

FULLY INSUREDMember: Cape Cod Landscape Association &

Associated Landscape Contractors of MassachusettsCALL TODAY FOR A FREE ESTIMATE

508.362.9148www.vetorinos.com

e-mail vetorinos@msn.com

Marvel SurfacesDoug Marvel, Owner

508-737-7226www.marvelsurfaces.com

The Look of Stone, Tile, Slate, Flagstone and so much more

at a Fraction of the Cost!

Resurface Directly Over Existing

Interior/Exterior Floors and Concrete Surfaces.

No Messy Demolition Most Jobs completed in Just 2 Days!

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GarveyCONTINUED FROM PAGE 27

CONTINUED FROM PAGE 28

CONTINUED ON PAGE 29

The key, Jim says, is if you fi ll all your prescriptions at the same phar-macy, your history will be all in one place. It’s true that most prescriptions are covered by plans that have their own computerized records, but if you change plans or are a cash customer or buy medicines on the Internet, you don’t have that protection.

Ordering from a mail order or on-line pharmacy through your drug plan – sometimes required for medication taken long-term – is different from using an Internet prescription “mill” or responding to an e-mail promising cheap drugs without a prescription. Avoid those like the plague. Most are out-and-out scams; others have “free-lance” doctors who write prescriptions without even seeing the patient, a violation of medical ethics and usually the law.

Jim advises carrying an index card listing the name of all your medica-tions, with the strength, how much you take, and how often you take each. Be sure to include vitamins, nutritional supplements, herbal remedies, and other nonprescription preparations. “Keep it in your wallet, right next to your insurance card,” he suggests. That way, if you end up in an emergency room and are unable to give that information, it’s all there. It’s also important to tell all your doctors and update the list if there’s any change. “Most physicians ask, and they really want to know, even if it’s a vitamin, fi sh oil, glucosamine, baby aspirin, or something else, because sometimes there is an interaction.”

Some people are reluctant to tell their doctors about non-traditional remedies, but “natural” or not, any-thing with pharmaceutical properties can have an effect. “Almost everything could infl uence a prescription medica-tion. To what degree is for the physi-cian to decide,” Jim says.

Now 68, Jim has been on the Cape for more than 40 years. “I came for a summer job, enjoyed it and the work I was doing, so I decided to stay.” An Osterville resident, he raised his two children here. Both went through the Barnstable school system and are now in college: Ryan is studying culinary arts and Julie is pursuing a business degree while working with her father.

Apothecare, an independently owned and operated full-service pharmacy, with a branch in Plymouth, is a valuable community resource. In addition to fi lling individual prescriptions, it provides medica-

tions for assisted living facilities, group homes, and hospices. One of its specialties is compounding, preparing medications in a strength or form that might not be available commercially. This ranges from tuna-fl avored thyroid medication for cats to customized bio-identical hormone replacement formulations determined by a doctor through testing of the individual patient, and many forms such as transdermal patches, supposi-tories, and topical gels for patients who cannot take needed medication by mouth. Among the special services Apothecare provides is a dispensing aid called Medicine on Time, a boon to people with memory impairments who may have multiple pills to take. And rarest of all, Apothecare delivers, from Cape tip to the bridges.

In Jim Garvey’s world, the personal touch is what counts. “People should have a pharmacist and physician they know and trust, and who can answer their questions.” He certainly fi lls that prescription. “I like helping people. They walk in sick and I help make them better.”

QuickhitsOld-school pharmacistApothecare205 West Main St.Hyannis, MA 02601508-775-9254www.apothecareinc.com and 121 Camelot Drive Plymouth, MA 02360 508-732-9700

!Most physicians ask, and they really want to know, even if it’s a vitamin, fish

oil, glucosamine, baby aspirin, or something

else, because sometimes there is an interaction.

JIM GARVEY, PHARMASICT AND OWNER APOTHECARE

About the authorBarbara Ravage moved to Cape Cod from her native New York City in 2000, after the youngest of her children went off to college. She considers heavy doses of ocean air and Cape light the best cure for empty-nest syndrome. A graduate of Barnard College, she is the author of nine books, including a biogra-phy of Rachel Carson for middle-school students and “Burn Unit: Saving Lives After the Flames,” which explores the history and science of burn treatment. She balances her writing life with yoga, karate, and pottery. After years of mak-ing do with two summer weeks on the Cape, her favorite part about living here is that she’s already home.