by Seth Humble, Digital Content Specialist

Though winter is at its full height when we meet, Tricia Heitman brandishes an unyielding summertime smile. After a few minutes of typical introductions, I ask, “You’ve been at PCCA for...”

Her eyes widen with excitement. “I’ve been at PCCA for 20 years, six months, and six days.” 

“What does two decades mean to you?”

“I started right out of college here. After my father convinced me to get my PharmD, I became a resident at PCCA under Andy Glasnapp. Andy saw something in me that I never would have seen. I remember very vividly that on my first day, I took 11 calls. These days I take about 25 calls a day. Dave Sparks was my first boss, and he was so incredibly supportive and good to me. I’m very thankful for how this opportunity started.”

She sighs, her eyes drifting upward into a cloud of memories. “A lot of maturing happened here. I started here when I was 25. That maturing could be summed up in how I have learned how to help people who are in stressful situations or people who disagree with me. It has taught me how to listen better, try to understand people’s needs better. That is a large part of our job here in Clinical Services, and I think that is why we are so effective. Everyone in our department works hard to listen actively. It is a great joy to be able to help people that way, especially pharmacies. When I listen well to them, it means that I’m listening to the patients they serve, and I get to help them both.” 

“So,” I interject, “you might say that listening well has a compounding effect.” 

It’s a criminally bad pun. 

Tricia laughs, mostly out of what I assume is politeness.

Sitting there, I cannot help but hear the sincere gratitude in her voice. I ask her why being in Clinical Services for PCCA has been so rewarding for her. Her answer does not disappoint.  

“I like to imagine all the people we’ve helped over the years. Clinical Services’ reach doesn’t just touch the lives of people working in compounding pharmacy, it touches the lives of patients and the families of those patients. When we help pharmacists apply solutions to their patients’ problems, it means the next time they experience that same issue, they’ve been equipped with a solution.”

“So would you say that personalized medicine has a rippling effect?” I ask.

Tricia’s eyes light up, confirming. “Oh, absolutely.” 

“What area have you found the most rewarding?” 

“I’ve always been invested in pediatrics. Don’t get me wrong, I love helping people with all sorts of questions and challenges, but I started in pediatrics. I was headed to Children's Hospital Colorado to accept a residency before Andy asked me to be a resident at PCCA. There’s no way to know everything in pediatrics. It is a huge sphere of knowledge, but it doesn’t scare me — it excites me. I want to help kids; my heart goes out to them. I want children to have the very best medicine and the absolute best experience with their medicine. My knowledge in pediatrics is probably the biggest thing I bring to the table, but everyone in Clinical Services is always happy to pitch in. And that’s really what makes our team so powerful: We aren’t just a group of pharmacists, we’re a community. We’ve built that up over years and years and years together; that’s really important, knowing that there is a trust there that’s been earned. We’re a team, a real team, and that trust is a trust all of us lean on.” 

“If you hadn’t gone into pharmacy, what would you have become?” I ask.

“A horticulturist. I would have absolutely loved that.” 

“Do you dabble?” 

“I do! I have a tiny garden, a little herb garden, and an antique rose garden. I’m into succulents. But I’m also a good Texas girl, so I have cabbage and collard greens. Gardening is very spiritual for me; it’s mindless, so it allows me to reflect and focus on growing things.”

“And that helps you with the clinical side of your life, being able to grow things?” I ask. 

“Without a doubt. But my clinical work is extremely important to me.” There’s a lilt in Tricia’s voice when she mentions the importance of her work.

 “What would be an example of your clinical work?” I ask.

“Take for example — I’ll give you one that came up twice. There was a 5-year-old with ovarian cancer who was having a lot of perineal pain. Knowing the signs of pain and how children in pain behave, I could clearly see that this was neuropathic pain. The child wasn’t sleeping more than two to three hours a night, and with the laundry list of medications she was on, she was just absolutely miserable when trying to sleep. Her doctor wanted to take a certain track with her pain treatment, but I suggested that before they take that road, to give us a chance to help her pain. We did a great deal of research, and we collaborated, and with patience and time and literature, we were able to advise on a path of treatment. We work diligently to understand medications, their side effects, and how physiology will respond to those medications. I’m really proud of my years here. There are always challenges, but I’m so happy I chose this profession. I think helping patients like this is proof that personalized medicine is worth fighting for.”

This is Tricia Heitman. 

At the time of this article’s completion, she has worked at PCCA for 20 years, six months and 15 days. She believes in growing things. From growing the succulents, herbs and roses in her home garden to laboring the well-tilled soil of knowledge inside her mind, or enjoying the fruits of community in our Clinical Services department. It’s clear after meeting her that Tricia’s sunny disposition, diligence and hard work are how she’s managed to grow so many things so quickly.