Students Host Alumnus to Discuss Medical Marijuana

In January, Northeast Ohio Medical University’s National Community Pharmacists Association student chapter hosted a College of Pharmacy alumnus to discuss the role of pharmacists in the growing medical marijuana trend.

In this article, third-year College of Pharmacy student Kaitlyn Latham and second-year College of Pharmacy student Tiffanny Martin reflect on the presentation.

The National Community Pharmacists Association (NCPA) was very excited to hold a meeting with a NEOMED College of Pharmacy alumnus AJ Caraballo, Pharm.D. (’13).

After graduating in 2013, Dr. Caraballo began to work at Hometown Pharmacy in Warren, Ohio, because he was interested in patient interaction. In his opinion, independent pharmacies such as Hometown Pharmacy allow for a more intimate relationship with the patient so that they are satisfied with their medications and service.

While he was learning the ins and outs of independent pharmacy, pharmacy benefit managers and revenue, Dr. Caraballo became involved with the Ohio Pharmacists Association. He contacted the Ohio legislature about a particular issue he encountered in pharmacy and actually got his senator to visit the pharmacy and check on the issues.

Throughout his time at Hometown Pharmacy, Dr. Caraballo also helped with medication synchronization — a widely adopted program that enables patients to make less trips to the pharmacy.

Dr. Caraballo loved his job at Hometown Pharmacy, but he felt there was something missing. When he visited a medical marijuana pharmacy in Connecticut, he realized that he had found an area that especially interested him.

Dr. Caraballo saw this as an opportunity to learn more about pharmacists’ role in medicinal marijuana. He put in a bid to open up a medicinal marijuana pharmacy in Ohio, but was denied. Luckily, he knew someone who opened a medicinal marijuana pharmacy and when he called to congratulate him, Dr. Caraballo was offered a job! He shared, “You may not know it, but you are always being interviewed.”

Through his journey with OPA, Dr. Caraballo has gained many connections and he explained how this is key in the world of pharmacy. It was those connections that helped Dr. Caraballo get his current position as a pharmacist at gLeaf Medical Cannabis in Warren, Ohio.

Dr. Caraballo explained to us how interesting his job is and how excited he is to be a part of something that has the ability to change so much in health care.

When he was hired, he had to develop a business plan to present to the state. Dr. Caraballo explained how much his Pharmacy Management class helped prepare him for this task, and that he felt lucky to have been able to learn this during his time at NEOMED. He also utilizes motivational interviewing – another skill he learned at NEOMED – so that he is able best cater to his patients.

There are many stipulations in a medicinal marijuana pharmacy since marijuana is still federally illegal. As far as the future of medicinal marijuana goes, Dr. Caraballo believes that there will be a reduction in the prescribing of opioids and an increase in the use of medicinal marijuana while state evaluations continue.

We want to thank Dr. Caraballo for taking the time to speak with us about medicinal marijuana and his role as a pharmacist.